Patent ID: 7582312

Claim:
A method for producing a lyophilized lung surfactant composition having reduced viscosity upon reconstitution as compared to the viscosity of an identical liquid lung surfactant composition which was not lyophilized, the method comprising: providing a lung surfactant polypeptide having at least 10 amino acid residues and represented by a formula: (Z a U b ) c Z d wherein Z represents a hydrophilic amino acid residue and U represents a hydrophobic amino acid residue; wherein each Z is independently R, D, E or K; and each U is independently V, I, L, C, Y, or F; and wherein a is an integer with an average value of about 1 to about 5; b is an integer with an average value of about 3 to about 20; c is an integer of about 1 to about 10; and d is an integer of about 1 to about 3; combining the lung surfactant polypeptide, one or more phospholipids, and at least one or more of a fatty acid, a fatty alcohol or a fatty acid ester in an organic solvent system, said system comprising an organic solvent in an amount sufficient to (i) solubilize the lung surfactant polypeptide and lipids to form a substantially homogeneous liquid mixture, and (ii) reduce viscosity of the lyophilized lung surfactant upon reconstitution, wherein the organic solvent system comprises from about 30% by volume to about 70% by volume of the organic solvent with the remainder being aqueous solvent and the organic solvent comprises a lower oxyhydrocarbon; and lyophilizing the substantially homogeneous liquid mixture to obtain the lyophilized lung surfactant composition having reduced viscosity upon reconstitution.