Introduction: The treatment of glioblastoma is hindered by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and rapid drug clearance by the immune system. To address these challenges, we propose a novel drug delivery system using liposomes modified with cell membrane fragments. These modified liposomes can evade the immune system, cross the BBB, and accumulate in tumor tissue through homotypic targeting, thereby delivering drugs like paclitaxel and carboplatin more effectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the last three decades, the development of nanoparticles or nano-formulations as drug delivery systems has emerged as a promising tool to overcome the limitations of conventional delivery, potentially to improve the stability and solubility of active molecules, promote their transport across the biological membranes, and prolong circulation times to increase efficacy of a therapy. Despite several nano-formulations having applications in drug delivery, some issues concerning their safety and toxicity are still debated. This chapter describes the recent available information regarding safety, toxicity, and efficacy of nano-formulations for drug delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, Cannabidiol crystals (CBD) were used as a BCS class II model drug to generate a novel therapeutic deep eutectic solvent (THEDES) with easy preparation using caprylic acid (CA). The hydrogen bonding interaction was confirmed by different techniques such as FT-IR and NMR, resulting in a hydrophobic system suitable for liquid formulations. The CBD-based THEDES, combined with a specific mixture of surfactants and co-surfactants, successfully formed a self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) that generated uniform nano-sized droplets once dispersed in water.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEosinophilic Esophagitis is an antigen-mediated inflammatory disease characterized by thickening of the esophageal wall, leading to dysphagia, vomiting, reflux, and abdominal pain. This disease can be treated with a therapeutic approach ranging from diet to pharmacological therapy. Jorveza (budesonide) and Dupixent (dupilumab) are treatments for Eosinophilic Esophagitis approved by the European Medicines Agency in adults but not in children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study describes a new method for the preparation of extemporaneous paracetamol-based suspensions for pediatric and adult patients. This method allows the preparation of extemporaneous suspensions up to concentrations of 50 mg/mL by using a liquid base, named "Puccini". A high-pressure liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the determination of chemical stability of paracetamol when the formulations were stored at 4°C and 25°C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe preparation of formulations that are not currently on the market or prepared for customized therapy is possible by pharmaceutical compounding. In this study, incorporation tests of some active pharmaceutical ingredients in five ready-touse lipophilic semisolid vehicles were performed, and the physical stability of the prepared extemporaneous formulations was assessed by performing an accelerated centrifuge test. The results demonstrated that it was possible to formulate physically stable topical medications without using special equipment or instruments, ensuring a fast, efficient, and repeatable preparation process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmaceutical compounding has a crucial role for the health of patients, allowing the preparation of formulation out of market or for a personalized therapy. This study is aimed to conduct a screening of possible ready-to-use hydrophilic vehicles for the preparation of topical dosage forms. Incorporation tests of several active pharmaceutical ingredients were performed, and the physical stability of the extemporaneous formulations was assessed by performing an accelerated centrifuge test.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe production of paediatric pharmaceutical forms represents a unique challenge within the pharmaceutical industry. The primary goal of these formulations is to ensure therapeutic efficacy, safety, and tolerability in paediatric patients, who have specific physiological needs and characteristics. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in attention towards this area, driven by the need to improve drug administration to children and ensure optimal and specific treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCataract surgery interventions are constantly increasing, particularly among adult and elderly patients. This type of surgery can lead to inflammatory states of the ocular anterior segment (AS), usually healed via postoperative treatment with dexamethasone (DEX)-containing eye drops. The application of eye drops is challenging due to the high number of daily administrations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Pharm Compd
February 2024
Minoxidil is one of the most employed active pharmaceutical ingredients for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia. The authors propose a new method for production of minoxidil lotions using Aloplus Total. The latter is a propylene glycol-free liquid base in which the presence of hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin and ethanol allows the solubilization of high drug amounts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHypothesis: Triblock copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide)-based matrices, such as Poloxamer 407 (P407) or Pluronic® F127, are extensively utilized in drug delivery and permeation systems due to their FDA approval and listing in the US and European Pharmacopoeias. The study hypothesizes that incorporating 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and the celecoxib-HP-β-CD inclusion complex into a 16 wt% P407 and chitosan blend in an aqueous acetic acid solution will affect the system's rheological and structural properties.
Experiments: Rheological, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments were conducted to assess the impact of acetic acid and chitosan on the 16 wt% P407 and chitosan blend.
Prilling/vibration technique to produce oral microcapsules was explored to achieve local delivery of misoprostol (MIS), a prostaglandin E1 analogue indicated for the treatment of gastric-duodenal ulcers, at the gastric mucosa. To improve MIS chemical stability and reduce its associated systemic side effects, drug delivery systems were designed and developed as microcapsules consisting of a core of sunflower oil and MIS (F and F) or a MIS complex with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) (F), confirmed by specific studies, and a polymeric shell. The produced microcapsules showed high encapsulation efficiencies for those with MIS solubilized in sunflower oil (>59.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this work was to develop a new class of deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of a complexation agent, namely hydroxy-propyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD), to exploit a synergic solubilization-enhancing approach. For this purpose, cyclodextrin-based supramolecular DES (CycloDES) were physical-chemical characterized and loaded with three different BCS class II model drugs, specifically Cannabidiol, Indomethacin, and Dexamethasone, evaluating the influence of different factors on the observed solubility and permeation compared with the only HPβCD/drug complexation. Hence, CycloDESs were presented as a possible vehicle for drugs and represent a novel potential approach for solving BCS class II and IV solubility issues, demonstrating at least a 100-fold improvement in the investigated drug solubilities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this work is the development and production by Direct Powder Extrusion (DPE) 3D printing technique of novel oral mucoadhesive films delivering Clobetasol propionate (CBS), useful in paediatric treatment of Oral Lichen Planus (OLP), a rare chronic disease. The DPE 3D printing of these dosage forms can allow the reduction of frequency regimen, the therapy personalization, and reduction of oral cavity administration discomfort. To obtain suitable mucoadhesive films, different polymeric materials, namely hydroxypropylmethylcellulose or polyethylene oxide blended with chitosan (CS), were tested and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin was added to increase the CBS solubility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMinoxidil is a vasodilator drug generally employed for the treatment of various forms of alopecia. In this article, the authors propose an alternative to the formulation reported in the British Pharmacopoeia for the realization of topical minoxidil -based solutions using ALOPLUS FAST. This liquid vehicle is an ethanol- and propylene glycol-free base which allows the complete solubilization of minoxidil, thanks to the presence of hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOmeprazole is the progenitor of proton pump inhibitors. It is used for the treatment of ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux in dosages ranging from 10 mg/day to 40 mg/day, calibrated according to the patient's age and body weight. In this study, the authors provide a report on the preparation of an extemporaneous liquid formulation of omeprazole using fast oral solution Chopin a hydroxypropyl-?-cyclodextrin liquid base (pH 8 to 9) that is able to solubilize the drug.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe reproducibility of an extemporaneous preparation is an essential condition for guaranteeing the quality, efficacy, and safety of the medicinal product. This study aimed to develop a controlled one-step process for cannabis olive oil preparations by applying digital technologies. For this purpose, the chemical profile of cannabinoid contents in oil extracts of Bedrocan, FM2, and Pedanios varieties obtained with the already in use method, proposed by the Italian Society of Compounding Pharmacists (SIFAP), was compared with two new methods, specifically the Tolotto Gear extraction method (TGE) and the Tolotto Gear extraction method preceded by a pre-extraction procedure (TGE-PE).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article discusses a new method for the preparation of extemporaneous ibuprofen-based suspensions for use in paediatric patients. This method allows the preparation of extemporaneous suspensions up to concentrations of 200 mg/5 mL by using a liquid base named "Wagner." A comprehensive physicochemical stability study was conducted on the formulation at a drug concentration of 200 mg/5 mL by performing high-pressure liquid chromatography and Turbiscan analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to combine direct powder extrusion (DPE) 3D printing and fluid bed coating techniques to create a budesonide (BD) loaded solid oral formulations for the treatment of eosinophilic colitis (EC) in paediatric patients. The preferred medication for EC treatment is BD, which has drawbacks due to its poor water solubility and low absorption. Additionally, since commercially available medications for EC treatment are created and approved for adult patients, administering them to children sometimes requires an off-label use and an impromptu handling, which can result in therapeutic ineffectiveness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to develop an oral paediatric formulation of budesonide (BUD) for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. A formulation realized as microspheres using the prilling/vibration technique is proposed as an innovative drug delivery system ensuring BUD-specific colonic release in response to different triggers, such as pH, transit time, and resident microbiota. BUD, or the inclusion complex BUD/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, was loaded into microspheres consisting of different ratios of alginate, Eudragit® FS 30D, with or without inulin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfter two decades of research in the field of nanomedicine, nanoscale delivery systems for biologicals are becoming clinically relevant tools. Microfluidic-based fabrication processes are replacing conventional techniques based on precipitation, emulsion, and homogenization. Here, the focus is on solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) for the encapsulation and delivery of lysozyme (LZ) as a model biologic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to develop thiolated self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) with improved mucoadhesive properties. Two non-ionic surfactants bearing a short and long PEG chain, namely polyoxyethylene (10) stearyl ether (PSE) and polyoxyethylene (100) stearyl ether (PSE), were thiolated for the first time by substituting the terminal hydroxyl group with a thiol group. The synthesis was confirmed by FT-IR, NMR and Ellman's test.
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