Patent ID: 8097282

Claim:
A method of treating a respiratory illness in a mammal comprising the steps of: (a) providing a nebulized aerosol composition, wherein the composition comprises aqueous droplets having a particle size of less than ten microns in diameter, wherein the aqueous droplets comprise: (i) water; (ii) crystalline particles of a therapeutic agent which is poorly soluble in water, wherein the crystalline particles have an effective average particle size of less than 400 nm, and wherein the therapeutic agent is present in the aqueous medium at an amount of from about 0.1% to about 60% (w/w) based on the total weight of the therapeutic agent and surface modifier; and (iii) at least one surface modifier adsorbed on the surface of the crystalline therapeutic agent particles, wherein the surface modifier is present at an amount of from about 0.1% to about 90% (w/w) based upon the total weight of the combined therapeutic agent and surface modifier, and wherein the at least one surface stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, lecithin, and a combination of a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester and lecithin; and (b) administering the aerosol composition to the lungs of the mammal, wherein the therapeutic agent is not beclomethasone, wherein the therapeutic agent is budesonide.