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Liposome Drug Delivery Systems
Lipid-based delivery systems are an accepted, proven, commercially viable strategy to formulate pharmaceuticals, for topical, oral, pulmonary or parenteral delivery. Whether in the form of liposomes, micelles, or emulsions, formulations can be tailored to meet a wide range of product requirements dictated by disease indication, route of administration, and considerations of cost, product stability, toxicity, and efficacy.
One of the earliest applications of liposome technology has been to improve drug solubility (AmBisome®, Visudyne®). NLI has established manufacturing processes designed for the preparation of large scale batches of sparingly soluble compounds, often at drug concentrations that are several orders of magnitude higher than the nominal aqueous solubility of the compound.
Sophisticated “next generation” liposome formulations (e.g. DOXIL®, Myocet®) focus on controlled delivery of small molecules, peptides, proteins or nucleic acids. There has been particular excitement generated by recent published preclinical data demonstrating the effectiveness of liposome formulations of siRNA. Another recent trend is the increased use of liposome technology to control the bioavailability of small molecules and peptides following localized administration e.g. to the lungs, subcutaneous tissue or brain.
Liposome technology has also been commercially proven as a vaccine adjuvant. There are several marketed liposome products (Epaxal®, Inflexal®), and a growing number of products under clinical development.
The proven safety and efficacy of lipid-based carriers make them attractive candidates for the formulation of pharmaceuticals, as well as vaccines, diagnostics and nutraceuticals.
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