Microencapsulation: an acclaimed novel drug-delivery system for NSAIDs in arthritis

Arthritis refers to different medical conditions associated with disorders of the primary structures that determine joint functioning, such as bones, cartilage, and synovial membranes. Drug discovery and delivery to retard the degeneration of joint tissues are challenging. Current treatment of different types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, septic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis involves the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, diclofenac, aceclofenac, ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, indomethacin piroxicam, dexibuprofen, ketoprofen, nabumetone, nimesulide, and naproxen, mainly by the oral, parenteral, or topical route. However, the frequent dosing that is required with NSAIDs often leads to patient noncompliance, so drug-delivery technologies should be developed to reduce the frequency of dosing and to allow sustained release of medications. Microencapsulation is one of the novel drug-delivery technologies employed to sustain drug release. This method reduces dosing and eliminates gastrointestinal irritation, thus ultimately improving patient compliance in the pharmacotherapy of arthritis. We provide a comprehensive overview of several microencapsulation technologies used in the treatment of arthritis that may reduce the dose-related adverse effects caused by NSAIDs.