Le mercredi 1er juillet 2026, Madame Laure-Anne BYA, titulaire d'un Master en sciences pharmaceutiques à finalité spécialisée en pratique officinale, conseil et suivi pharmaceutique et d’un Certificat de formation à la recherche en sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques, présentera l'examen en vue de l'obtention du grade de Doctorat en sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques, sous la direction de Madame Anna LECHANTEUR et de Madame Brigitte EVRARD.

Cette épreuve consistera en la défense publique d'une thèse intitulée : "Development and optimization of powders containing liposomes for pulmonary administration". 

Le jury sera composé de :

Eric ZIEMONS (Président), Geoffroy LUMAY (Secrétaire), Francesca BUTTINI (Univ. Parme), Brigitte EVRARD, Anna LECHANTEUR, Géraldine PIEL, Nathalie WAUTHOZ (ULB).

Résumé de la thèse

Liposomes are promising carriers for pulmonary drug delivery, yet their limited stability in aqueous suspension remains a major challenge. Converting them into dry powder inhalers (DPIs) via spray drying (SD) offers a scalable and attractive solution, although process-induced stresses may compromise liposomal integrity.

This thesis first investigates the impact of SD process and formulation parameters on powder characteristics and liposome stability using a Quality by Design approach. Optimal drying conditions were identified to ensure suitable aerodynamic performance for lung deposition while preserving liposomal structure, and their robustness was demonstrated across multiple active pharmaceutical ingredients.

In a second step, these optimized conditions were applied to an optimal liposomal formulation co-encapsulating ciclesonide and indacaterol maleate and its performance was compared to that of an optimized non-liposomal DPI developed as a reference. Both formulations exhibited appropriate powder properties, efficient lung deposition and stability under ICH storage conditions. Importantly, the liposomal DPI maintained its structural integrity, confirming the compatibility of the process with sensitive nanocarriers.

Overall, this work demonstrates the feasibility of integrating scalable production and drying technologies to develop robust, stable and effective liposomal DPIs for pulmonary drug delivery.