Alexza Pharmaceuticals has found that its inhalation technologies can lead to swifter drug absorption. That is the basis for the company's primary product, Staccato inhalers, which it is developing to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The inhalers contain a heating element coated with a thin layer of medicine. Before use, the patient triggers the heating element, which vaporizes the medicine, allowing the patient to inhale it. The medicine is then rapidly absorbed through the lungs at a rate typically faster than oral and intravenous applications. Alexza Pharmaceuticals targets neurological disorders including addiction and anxiety. The firm has agreed to be acquired by Spanish pharmaceutical Ferrer.