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A valve for an aerosol container including a valve body, a valve stem having a dispensing passage, and a sealing ring contacting the valve stem. The valve stem is slidably moveable relative to the sealing ring from a valve-closed position to a valve-open position in which the interior of the valve b

A valve for an aerosol container including a valve body, a valve stem having a dispensing passage, and a sealing ring contacting the valve stem. The valve stem is slidably moveable relative to the sealing ring from a valve-closed position to a valve-open position in which the interior of the valve body is in communication with the dispensing passage. The sealing ring includes a flexible component and a rigid component. The valve is preferably a metering valve.

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1. A valve comprising:a body;a stem having a dispensing passage, anda first sealing ring including a first rigid component and a first flexible component,wherein the stem is slidably moveable relative to the first sealing ring from a closed position to an open position, and wherein a portion of the

1. A valve comprising:a body;a stem having a dispensing passage, anda first sealing ring including a first rigid component and a first flexible component,wherein the stem is slidably moveable relative to the first sealing ring from a closed position to an open position, and wherein a portion of the first flexible component is positioned between the first rigid component and the stem, said valve further including a second sealing ring,wherein the body defines a metering chamber and a sampling chamber,wherein, in the closed position, the dispensing passage is isolated from the metering chamber and the metering chamber is in communication with the sampling chamber via a transfer passage,wherein, in the open position, the dispensing passage is in communication with the metering chamber and the transfer passage is isolated from the metering chamber, andwherein the second sealing ring includes a second rigid component and a second flexible component.2. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first flexible component has a Shore hardness value of 45 to 80.3. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first rigid component has a Shore hardness of greater than 80.4. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first rigid component has a greater resistance to an aerosol propellant and/or moisture than the first flexible component.5. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first rigid component is located axially-outer and the first flexible component is located axially-inner with respect to the stem.6. A valve according to claim 1, wherein a stem-sealing portion of the first sealing ring has a first rounded edge.7. A valve according to claim 1, wherein a stem-sealing portion of the first sealing ring has a first lobed surface.8. A valve according to claim 7, wherein said first lobed surface and said first stem-sealing portion define one or more wells.9. A valve according to claim 8, wherein said one or more wells each contain a lubricant material.10. A valve according to claim 6, wherein the first stem-sealing portion includes a tapered surface adjacent to the stem.11. A valve according to claim 7, wherein a second portion of the first ring includes one or more grooves.12. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first rigid component includes a material selected from the group consisting of a polybutylteraphthlate, polyoxymethylene, metal and nylon.13. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first flexible component includes an elastomer.14. A valve according to claim 13, wherein said elastomer is selected from the group consisting of:a thermoplastic elastomer comprising a copolymer of about 80 to about 95 percent ethylene and a total of about 5 to about 20 percent mole percent of one or more of 1-butene, 1-hexene and 1-octane;a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block copolymer;an ethylene propylene diene rubber;a thermoplastic elastomer blend of an ethylene propylene diene rubber dispersed in a polypropylene matrix;a butyl polyethylene;a thermoplastic elastomer blend of an ethylene propylene diene robber dispersed in a polyethylene matrix;butyl-polypropylene; and mixtures thereof.15. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first rigid component comprises at least 50% of the volume of the first sealing ring.16. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing ring is formed by a moulding process.17. A valve according to claim 16, wherein said moulding process is a two-stage injection moulding process.18. A valve according to claim 17, wherein said two-stage injection moulding process is co-injection moulding.19. A valve according to claim 16 wherein the moulding process is insert moulding.20. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing ring is static relative to the valve body.21. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing ring is fixed within a cavity in the valve body.22. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the stem includes a lubricant material.23. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing ring includes a lubricant.24. A drug product comprising:an aerosol container containing a drug formulation comprising a medicament and an aerosol propellant in communication witha valve including:a body;a stem having a dispensing passage; anda first sealing ring including a first rigid component and a first flexible component;wherein the stem is slidably moveable relative to the first sealing ring from a closed position to an open position, and wherein a portion of the first flexible component is positioned between the first rigid component and the stem, said valve further including a second sealing ring,wherein the body defines a metering chamber and a sampling chamber,wherein, in the closed position, the dispensing passage is isolated from the metering chamber and the metering chamber is in communication with the sampling chamber via a transfer passage,wherein, in the open position, the dispensing passage is in communication with the metering chamber and the transfer passage is isolated from the metering chamber, andwherein the second sealing ring includes a second rigid component and a second flexible component.25. The drug product according to claim 24, wherein the medicament is suspended in the propellant.26. The drug product according to claim 25, wherein said propellant is HFA 134a or HFA-227.27. The drug product according to claim 26, wherein said medicament is selected from the group consisting of albuterol, salmeterol, fluticasone, beclomethasone, ipratropium, salts, solvates, and esters thereof, and combinations thereof.28. The drug product according to claim 27 wherein said medicament consists of salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propionate.29. The drug product of claim 27, wherein the medicament is fluticasone propionate.30. The drug product of claim 27, wherein the medicament is albuterol sulphate.31. The drug product of claim 27, wherein the medicament is salmeterol xinafoate.32. The drug product of claim 27, wherein the medicament consists of salmeterol xinafoate and ipratropium bromide.33. The drug product of claim 24, wherein the first rigid component is located axially-outer and the first flexible component is located axially-inner with respect to the stem.34. The drug product according to claim 24, wherein the first flexible component axially surrounds the first rigid component.35. A valve comprising:a body;a stem having a dispensing passage; anda first sealing ring including a first rigid component and a first flexible component,wherein the stem is slidably moveable relative to the sealing ring from a closed position to an open position,wherein a portion of the first flexible component is positioned between the first rigid component and the stern, andwherein the first flexible component axially surrounds the first rigid component.36. A valve comprising:a body;a stem having a dispensing passage; anda first sealing ring including a first rigid component and a first flexible component,wherein the stem is slidably moveable relative to the sealing ring from a closed position to an open position,wherein a portion of the first flexible component is positioned between the first rigid component and the stem,wherein a stem-sealing portion of the first sealing ring has a first lobed surface,wherein said first lobed surface and said first stem-sealing portion define one or more wells.37. A valve according to claim 36, wherein said one or more wells each contain a lubricant material.38. A valve comprising:a body;a stem having a dispensing passage; anda first sealing ring including a first rigid component and a first flexible component,wherein the stem is slidably moveable relative to the sealing ring from a closed position to an open position,wherein a portion of the first flexible component is positioned between the first rigid component and the stem,wherein the first flexible component includes an elastomer selected from the group consisting of:a thermoplastic elastomer comprising a copolymer of about 80 to about 95 percent ethylene and a total of about 5 to about 20 percent mole percent of one or more of 1-butene, 1-hexene and 1-octane;a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block copolymer;an ethylene propylene diene rubber;a thermoplastic elastomer blend of an ethylene propylene diene rubber dispersed in a polypropylene matrix;a butyl polyethylene;a thermoplastic elastomer blend of an ethylene propylene diene robber dispersed in a polyethylene matrix;butyl-polypropylene; and mixtures thereof.39. A drug product comprising:an aerosol container containing a drug formulation comprising a medicament and an aerosol propellant in communication witha valve including:a body;a stem having a dispensing passage; anda first sealing ring including a first rigid component and a first flexible component;wherein the stem is slidably moveable relative to the sealing ring from a closed position to an open position,wherein a portion of the first flexible component is positioned between the first rigid component and the stem, andwherein the first flexible component axially surrounds the first rigid component.