Pulmonary surfactant is used as a medication to treat and prevent respiratory distress syndrome in newborn babies.[2] Prevention is generally done in babies born at a gestational age of less than 32 weeks.[2] It is given by the endotracheal tube.[2] Onset of effects is rapid.[3] A number of doses may be needed.[3]
There are a number of types of pulmonary surfactants available. Like their natural counterparts, pulmonary surfactant preparations consist of phospholipids (mainly DPPC) combined with spreading agents such as SP-B and SP-C.[8]
Synthetic pulmonary surfactants:
Colfosceril palmitate (Exosurf) - a mixture of DPPC with hexadecanol and tyloxapol added as spreading agents
Pumactant (Artificial Lung Expanding Compound or ALEC) - a mixture of DPPC and PG
Lucinactant (KL-4) - composed of DPPC, palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylglycerol, and palmitic acid, combined with a 21 amino acid synthetic peptide (sinapultide) that mimics the C-terminal helical domain of SP-B.[9]
Venticute - DPPC, PG, palmitic acid and recombinant SP-C
Researcher John Clements identified surfactants and their role in the 1950s. Mary Ellen Avery soon after showed that the lungs of premature infants couldn't produce surfactants.[10]
Exosurf, Curosurf, Infasurf, and Survanta were the initial surfactants FDA approved for use in the U.S.[11]
In 2012, the US FDA approved an additional synthetic surfactant, lucinactant (Surfaxin).[citation needed]
↑World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
↑Taeusch, H William; Lu, Karen; Ramierez-Schrempp, Daniela (2002). "Improving pulmonary surfactants"(PDF). Acta Pharmacologica Sinica. 23 Suppl: 11–5. Archived(PDF) from the original on 2015-03-01.