Mannitol inhalation powder was recommended to improve lung function in cystic fibrosis patients after a 9-to-7 vote by the FDA’s Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee (PADAC).

The committee voted 10 to 6 in favor of the drug’s efficacy and 10 to 6 in favor of its safety.

Mannitol, marketed as Bronchitol by Chiesi USA, “will improve mucus clearance in patients with CF due to the osmotic properties of mannitol remaining in the extracellular compartment to cause an outflow of water into surrounding tissues, and thus reduce the thickness and stickiness of CF mucus secretions,” according to the company, the FDA’s briefing document reported.

Read more at www.medscape.com