Inhalation is an important route of human exposure to chemicals in the environment. In addition to this, pharmaceuticals are increasingly being developed for administration direct to the respiratory tract. Progenix Research conducts inhalation studies in all species for safety assessment of pharmaceuticals and chemicals. All animal buildings on the Progenix Research campus (rodent, canine and primate) incorporate state-of-the-art facilities for inhalation toxicology. Senior staff have extensive experience in this challenging area.

Inhalation exposure facilities concentrate on nose-only (flow-past and flow-through) systems for rodents and on mask systems for dogs and primates.

Atmosphere generation including aerosols, powders, gases, vapours, Metered Dose Inhaler (MDIs), Dry Powder Inhaler (DPIs) etc.

Atmosphere analysis by Gas Chromatograph (GC), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Infra-Red (IR) spectroscopy, laser photometers.

Particle size distribution by cascade impactor and laser time-of-flight analysis.

Study capability: Acute/single dose inhalation studies, repeated exposure studies (14-day, 28-day, 3-month, 6-month) and carcinogenicity studies; respiratory sensitisation investigations using the eosinophil peroxidase assay; nasal instillation studies.