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Writer's pictureNavdeep Singh

Recent advancements & prospects of novel drug delivery systems



The recent advancements in both technology and medicine have worked hand-in-hand to change the face of modern medicine. In the older days, drug delivery systems and medicine used traditional approaches which were effective for those times, but could not keep up with the changing dynamics of healthcare and pharmaceuticals. As technologies to improve drug formulation, administering, and dosage have become more sophisticated, emerging methodologies are making these processes more efficient to improve the efficacy of treatments administered for various diseases. This blog is going to explore the advancements and prospects of novel drug delivery systems in the world of pharmaceuticals with their impact on the end recipient as well as processes.

Hot-Melt Extrusion (HME): Process to Pharmaceutical Usage

HME is a successive pharmaceutical approach that requires pumping polymeric substances using a rotating screw at temperatures over their glass transition temperature or even their melting temperature. This helps to gain the mixing of active compounds on a molecular level with the thermoplastic binders and polymers. Such a molecular mixing transforms the components into uniformly shaped and equal-density amorphous products. Hence, the dissolution profile of the inadequately water-soluble drug can be improved.HME has been in action to deliver water-soluble drugs with taste masking and other such applications. This is a challenging technology that offers many exciting benefits over traditional pharmaceutical production operations, such as quick and efficient manufacturing of the final product. There are also environmental benefits due to the removal of solvents as well as improved efficiency of drug delivery to the recipient.

Dry Powder Inhalers Are Being Investigated for Cystic Fibrosis

Today, the only authorized inhaled antipseudomonal antibiotics available for people suffering from chronic lung infection due to cystic fibrosis are nebulized solutions. The main roadblock to their recovery is the painstaking time taken to administer and clean, along with the high frequency of dosages and unmanageable administration technologies surrounding nebulizers. These add to the already high treatment limitations for this section of patients. The new technology is a revolutionary emulsion-based spray-drying methodology that promotes the generation of light porous particles and dry-powder consistency in these drugs to, improve the dispersion and flow as compared to traditional passive dry powder inhalers. For the patients, this means swifter drug delivery, less trouble in the process, and quick absorption into the bloodstream.

Carrier Particles in Dry Powder Inhaler

Carrier particles can enhance the flowability of drug particles, thus leading to increased dosing accuracy while reducing the dose variability that is noticed with standalone drug formulations. This is a boon to the manufacturers of drugs since the dry powder becomes easier to handle during processing. With the help of carrier particles, dry powder particles are ejected from devices and capsules easily, thereby improving the efficiency while inhalation. Generally,  since just a few milligrams of such drugs need to be delivered, carrier particles provide bulk to enhance the dispensing, handling, and metering of such dry powder medicine. Additionally, adding a carrier material with a different taste or sensation upon inhalation can confirm to the patient that the medicine was consumed effectively.

Nanotechnology for Improved and Focused Drug Delivery

There have been a lot of challenges in the fraud delivery systems due to the use of large-sized materials. These comprise poor absorption in the body, poor bioavailability, Vivo instability,  poor solubility, tonic effectiveness, issues with target-specific delivery, and probable side effects of medication. Hence, introducing novel drug delivery systems that target drugs to specific parts of the body can help to mitigate so many problems at once.Nanomedicine and nano delivery systems may be new to our world, but in 2022 they are a few of the quickly materializing sciences. Here, materials ranging in the nanoscale are used to function as a way of diagnostics or to help in delivering controlled drugs to precisely targeted areas. Nanotechnology provides a multitude of advantages in the treatment of chronic diseases by employing target-oriented and site-specific delivery of drugs.

Niosomes Becoming Carriers in Dermal Drug Delivery

Colloidal vesicular drug carriers like niosomes or liposomes are being widely used in the application of drug delivery systems today. The said vesicles can be used as drug reservoirs to control the rate of release; moreover, the rate of release can be changed by altering the composition of such vesicles. This decade will witness niosomes becoming an integral aspect of topical drug delivery because of their qualities such as improving drug penetration, controlling a consistent drug release pattern, and capability to carry lipophilic and hydrophilic medicine.

Conclusion:

The future of drug delivery systems is bright, considering the sheer amount of improvements being devised this year alone. With the subject of inhalable vaccines to curb the ongoing pandemic, similar technologies will streamline drug delivery, making controlled dosages more efficient. We hope this blog helped you glean meaningful insights regarding novel drug delivery systems and their future scope of growth.

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