Pharmaceutical aerosol formulation comprising a medicament, a propellant and a fluorinated surfactant

A pharmaceutical aerosol formulation which comprises particulate medicament, a fluorocarbon or hydrogen-containing chlorofluorocarbon propellant and a surfactant, which is soluble in said propellant, of general formula (Ia) or (Ib) ##STR7## wherein:

• R.sup.1 represents:
• R.sub.F (CH.sub.2).sub.a --(CH.dbd.CH).sub.b --(CH.sub.2).sub.c --(CH.dbd.CH).sub.d --(CH.sub.2).sub.e --A--;
• R.sub.F --(CH.sub.2).sub.f --OCH.sub.2 CH(CH.sub.2 OH)CH.sub.2 --A--;
• R.sub.F --(CH.sub.2).sub.g --OCH.sub.2 CH(CH.sub.2 OH)--A--;
• wherein --A-- represents --O--, --C(O)O--, --R.sup.6 (R.sup.7)N.sup.+ --, (wherein each of R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 represents C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl or hydroxyethyl), --(CH.sub.2).sub.t --, wherein t=0 or 1 or --C(O)N(R.sup.9)--(CH.sub.2).sub.q --B, wherein q is an integer from 0 to 12, B represents --O-- or --C(O)--, and R.sup.9 is hydrogen or R.sup.6,
• and wherein the sum of a+c+e is from 0 to 17, the sum b+d is from 0 to 12 and each of f and g is from 1 to 12;
• R.sub.F --(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --O).sub.h --;
• R.sub.F --(CH(CH.sub.3)CH.sub.2 O).sub.h --;
• R.sub.F --(--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --S).sub.h --,
• wherein h is from 1 to 12;
• and
• wherein R.sub.F represents a fluorine-containing moiety having one of the following structures:
• (a) F(CF.sub.2).sub.i --, wherein i is from 1 to 18,
• (b) (CF.sub.3).sub.2 CF(CF.sub.2).sub.j --, wherein j is from 0 to 8,
• (c) R.sub.F 1(CF.sub.2 CF(CF.sub.3)).sub.k --, wherein k is from 1 to 4, and R.sub.F 1 represents CF.sub.3 --, C.sub.2 F.sub.5 -- or (CF.sub.3).sub.2 CF--,
• (d) R.sub.F 2(R.sub.F 3)CFO(CF.sub.2 CF.sub.2).sub.l wherein l is from 1 to 6 and wherein each of R.sub.F 2 and R.sub.F 3 independently represents CF.sub.3 --, C.sub.2 F.sub.5 --, n-C.sub.3 F.sub.7 -- or CF.sub.3 CF.sub.2 CF(CF.sub.3)-- or R.sub.F 2 and R.sub.F 3 taken together represent --(CF.sub.2).sub.4 -- or --(CF.sub.2).sub.5 --, or
• (e) one of the structures (a) to (d) in which one or more of the fluorine atoms are replaced by one or more hydrogen or bromine atoms and/or at least two chlorine atoms in a proportion such that at least 50% of the atoms bonded to the carbon skeleton of R.sub.F are fluorine atoms, and wherein R.sub.F contains at least 4 fluorine atoms,
• r is 0 or 1;
• R.sup.2 represents R.sup.1, hydrogen or a group OR,
• wherein R represents a saturated or unsaturated C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl or C.sub.3 -C.sub.20 acyl;
• and when r is 1, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may exchange their positions;
• and each of X and Y independently represent:
• hydroxyl;
• --OCH.sub.2 CH(OH)CH.sub.2 OH;
• --O(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.t R.sup.3,
• wherein t is an integer from 1 to 5;
• and R.sup.3 represents a hydrogen atom or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group;
• --NR.sup.4 R.sup.5 or N.sup.+ R.sup.4 R.sup.5 R.sup.8,
• wherein each of R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.8 independently represents a hydrogen atom;
• a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.s R.sup.3, wherein s represents an integer of from 1 to 5, or R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 when taken together represent --(CH.sub.2).sub.q wherein q is an integer of from 2 to 5, or with the nitrogen atom R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 form a morpholino group;
• --O(CH.sub.2).sub.p Z wherein Z represents a 2-aminoacetic acid group, --NR.sup.4 R.sup.5 or --N.sup.+ R.sup.4 R.sup.5 R.sup.8 where R.sup.8 is as defined for R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 above, and p is an integer of from 1 to 5;
• with the proviso that X and Y do not both represent hydroxyl or an ionized form derived from hydroxyl.