CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF NEW DRUG DELIVERY TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

New drug delivery systems based products have significantly increased in the past few years, and this growth is expected to continue in the near future. Today a large number of companies are busy developing protein- and peptide-based drugs. Large molecules that degrade rapidly in the blood stream so these biopharmaceuticals (proteins, peptides, carbohydrates, oligo-nucleotides, and nucleic acids in the form of DNA) present drug delivery challenges. Moreover, they have a limited ability to cross cell membranes and generally cannot be delivered orally. Such molecules will be much more difficult to deliver via conventional routes, and injections may be the only means of delivery (at least as of today). This review is an update on some of the existing drug delivery technologies for oral controlled-release, delivery of large molecules, liposomes, taste masking, fast- dispersing dosage forms, and technology for insoluble drugs, nasal, pulmonary, vaginal, and rectal routes.