NOVEL APPROACHES IN LIPID BASED DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS

Abstract

The use of lipids in drug delivery is by no means a new trend. “Old” lipid dosage forms such as suppositories, creams or emulsions have been on the market for a long time, and some of them in use since a long time. However, over the last decade, approaches in new designs of lipid carriers have considerably evolved for the delivery of poorly soluble drugs. Lipid based drug delivery systems (DDS) can play a direct role in improving efficacy and drug safety, whereby new and improved therapies are possible. The spectrum of applications for lipid based formulations has widened as the nature and type of active drugs under investigation vary. Lipid based formulations may also protect active compounds from biological degradation or transformation, which in turn can lead to an enhancement of drug potency. In addition, lipid based particulate DDS have been shown to reduce the toxicity of various drugs by changing the biodistribution of the drug away from sensitive organs. This article mainly focuses on novel lipid formulations namely emulsions, vesicular systems and lipid particulate systems and their subcategories as well as on their prominent applications in pharmaceutical drug delivery.