Controlled-release injectable microemulsions: recent advances and potential opportunities

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Controlled-release injectable (CRI) formulations are valuable but face development hurdles like limited polymers and manufacturing complexities.
• Microemulsion technology presents a viable alternative to address these challenges in injectable drug formulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the potential of microemulsion technology for developing advanced controlled-release injectable formulations.
• To explore how microemulsions can overcome limitations of traditional CRI systems.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar.
• The review focused on microemulsions and other parenteral controlled-release formulations.

Main Results:

• Microemulsions offer manufacturing advantages and allow for the engineering of drug release profiles.
• Formulation flexibility in microemulsions enables modulation of in-vivo drug release, optimizing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
• Studies show microemulsions can prolong in-vivo drug residence time, enhancing the benefit/risk profile.

Conclusions:

• Injectable microemulsions, particularly via subcutaneous or intramuscular routes, demonstrate significantly prolonged elimination.
• This characteristic should be utilized to develop novel CRI products, especially for drugs with poor oral pharmacokinetics.
• Microemulsion-based CRIs hold significant potential for improving treatment outcomes for various drug candidates.