Advantages And Disadvantages Of Colloidal Drug Delivery System

Research indicates that small molecules are the most common and more easier form of drug therapeutics. Small molecules are easier and more cost effective to produce. However because they are chemically produced and are ingested through tablets, it makes it difficult for them to have a lasting affect within the body. Researchers are looking into using biologics as an alternative form of therapeutic for certain diseases. Biologics are naturally synthesised from various sources. It has been known that biologics would have a longer “life expectancy” within the body because it would be given intravenously, directly into the blood stream avoiding it from being broken down by the G1 tract which would occur with a small molecule (Bayer HealthCare,

Kainic, Jenna. "Microbots: Using Nanotechnology In Medicine." Yale Scientific. Yale Scientific Magazine, 5 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

Among other approaches tried by scientists, colloidal systems like liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles etc., have shown promise but not many products have made it to the market (7). Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems are gaining much popularity in recent years. Among these, nanoparticulate drug delivery systems from biodegradable and biocompatible polymer are an interesting option for controlled drug delivery and drug targeting (8). Amongst the various drug-delivery systems, solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carrier (NLCs) are potentially attractive choices due to their natural components and easily scaled-up formulation processes. In addition, their hydrophobic core provides a suitable environment for entrapment of hydrophobic drugs (9). Among the important technological advantages of nanoparticles as drug carriers are: high stability (i.e. long shelf life), high carrier capacity (i.e. many drug molecules can be incorporated into the particle matrix), feasibility of incorporation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances, and feasibility of variable routes of administration (10). NLCs are kind of lipid-based nanoparticles, which has the advantages of biodegradable, brain targeting, well-recognized safety profile by drastically reducing drug-related toxicities through reduction of nonspecific biodistribution (11). NLCs consist of an unstructured solid lipid

Example-2: Nelfinavir-PLGA NPs were prepared by nanoprecipitation method. Drug:polymer weight ratio was varied from 1:1 to 1:5 and particle size, encapsulation efficiency and drug loading were measured. Among the drug:polymer weight ratios prepared, 1:4 ratio was chosen as optimal. NPs found to exhibit sustained drug release up to 24 h and there was a 4.94-fold increase in relative bioavailability compared to pure drug (Venkatesh et al. 2015).

Microspheres formulated using 0.1 M calcium chloride exhibited the highest drug loading at 14%, with 66.5% encapsulation efficiency. Less than 4% and 35% propranolol release occurred from hydrated and dried microspheres, respectively, in 2 hours in simulated gastric fluid (SGF). 90% of the drug load was released in increments of 5 hours and 7 hours from hydrated and dried microspheres, respectively, in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). Prior incubation of hydrated microspheres in SGF extended the time of release in SIF to 10 hours. Restricted propranolol release in SGF and complete extraction in SIF demonstrate the potential of alginate gel microspheres for oral delivery of

Nanomedicine has been tested to try and fight cancer cells and destroy them by the University of California, Los Angeles(UCLA). The nanomedicine has improved unmodified medicine including targeting efficiency. Nanomedicine delivers a “Double whammy” as it is put by UCLA. Nanomedicine has the strength to possibly overcome some of the most severe diseases especially cancer because once cancer is able to be extinguished the human race could become nearly invulnerable. Cancer is one of the most severe cases of a disease. Cancer could kill thousands and diagnose way more people.

"CMAX Technologies Inc. is a drug delivery company with expertise in solid oral dosages. The Company was established in 2008 with an objective to provide prompt and reliable services to the Pharmaceutical sector worldwide and to improve the product quality through technological innovations. CMAX Technologies Inc. currently provides assistance to the pharmaceutical industry in developing immediate release and once-a-day drug delivery systems from lab scale to commercial level” (CMAX Technologies Inc., 2015). They are located in Markham, Ontario and the Director is Jeff Rewick. CMAX Technologies Inc. currently provides assistance to the pharmaceutical industry in developing immediate release and once-a-day drug delivery systems from lab scale to commercial level. CMAX Technologies Inc. will be an excellent company to study for the project due to the following reasons:

Chemoembolization using drug eluting microspheres (DEM TACE) was developed to prolong the release of chemotherapeutic agent within the tumor in a prolonged and slow manner. Microspheres (HepaSphere™ Microspheres) 30-60 μmare able to absorb chemotherapeutic agent (Irinotecan). After being mixed with contrast media, microspheres get larger size to 100–200 μm and slowly release the cytotoxic drug. The advantage of DEM TACE is to increase the concentration of chemotherapeutic agent within the tumor, with decreased systemic side effects and toxicity [4,5]. Additionally, the arterial supply of the tumour is embolized by the spheres like in

It was proven that surface active agents which are the backbone of the formulated lipid vesicles can enhance the transdermal delivery of drugs by lowering the permeability barrier of the skin and interacting with the SC in vitro [45]. On the other hand, Studies also reported that the drug molecules to be effectively transported across the SC they must be entrapped within the lipid vesicles suggesting that the vesicles act as drug carrier systems and not as penetration enhancers [46].

Administration: Oral mucosal drug delivery systems are easy to administer. This quality of ease of administration is of most importance to health care providers

As the years go on medicine and drugs are advancing faster than ever. With longer life spans, new illness, diseases, and medical complications it has become a vitality for doctors and scientists to understand more efficient ways to deliver needed drugs. On this path, one of the major obstruction is how quickly a drug become active in the body, or is released from whatever form it is exposed to the body. “Research in the area of controlled drug delivery systems has become increasingly important, due to the advantages in safety, efficacy, and patient convenience that these long-acting systems provide.” [1]

Further applications of nanoparticles technique include their use as carriers for sustained and controlled drug delivery, active and passive delivery of bioactives , vaccine delivery , and gene silencing (Faraji and Wipf, 2009) .

In many pharmaceutical industries, spray drying is used to create particles that are utilized to form many oral or inhaled drugs. Thus, these particles are designed to be pressed into tablets or dispersed in aerosols. A spray dryer is a processing unit that produces a mist where the solvent is quickly evaporated, leaving particles that are collected in a cyclone. This quick evaporation leaves the molecules fixed in their current positions, preventing the molecules from finding their stable locations and generating a less stable structure. The structure of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) affects how the pharmaceutical drugs interact with the body (Vicente). Hence, bioavailability is the extent and rate at which an

Cancer is one of the main leading causes of deaths worldwide. The reason for this is due to the poor results of the conventional chemotherapy. The primary cause of this is owing to the lack of selectivity of these drugs. Low molecular weight drugs can enter all types of cells by random diffusion, hence they not only attack tumor cells but they also attack healthy cells with the same potency resulting in severe toxicity. Hence, scientists need to develop strategies to selectively target drugs to tumor cells, to prevent the toxic side effects. One of the most effective strategies to overcome this problem is to exploit the anatomical and pathophysiological abnormalities of tumor tissues such as the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect for anticancer drug delivery. EPR effect is basically the gradual accumulation and retention of certain size molecules (such as nanoparticles, liposomes and macromolecular drugs) in tumor tissues.

Commercially available controlled release devices offer several advantages, e.g. they maintain the drug within the desired therapeutic range with just a single dose, they allow localized drug delivery which ultimately may reduce the need for follow-up care, they preserve drugs that are rapidly destroyed by the body and ultimately improve patient compliance.