Development of Solid-Self Micron Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems
As a consequence of modern drug discovery techniques, there has been a steady increase in the number of new pharmacologically active lipophilic compounds that are poorly water soluble and solubility is one of the most important parameter to achieve desired concentration of drug in systemic circulation for therapeutic response. It is a great challenge for pharmaceutical scientist to convert those molecules into orally administered formulation with sufficient bioavailability. Among the several approaches to improve oral bioavailability of these molecules, Self-micron emulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) is one of the approaches usually used to improve the bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs. However, conventional SMEDDS are mostly prepared in a liquid form, which can have several disadvantages. Accordingly, solid SMEDDS (S-SMEDDS) prepared by solidification of liquid/semisolid self-micron emulsifying (SME) ingredients into powders have gained popularity. This article provides an overview of the recent advancements in S-SMEDDS such as methodology, techniques and future research directions.