Drug eluting implants in pharmaceutical development and clinical practice.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Pharmaceutical Development

Background:

• Drug eluting implants offer enhanced patient convenience and compliance by enabling less frequent dosing and localized drug delivery.
• Applications span contraception, ophthalmology, and oncology, addressing limitations of traditional administration methods like injections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review available drug eluting implant products, design strategies, and materials.
• To discuss fabrication techniques, commercial applications, and industrial drug product development.
• To explore developing trends and opportunities in the drug eluting implant field.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of available implant products and technologies.
• Analysis of biodegradable and non-biodegradable polymeric materials.
• Examination of fabrication techniques and industrial drug product development.

Main Results:

• Overview of current implant products, materials (biodegradable and non-biodegradable polymers), and fabrication methods.
• Discussion of commercial applications and industrial development processes.
• Identification of trends such as improved excipients, novel materials, and scaled manufacturing.

Conclusions:

• Drug eluting implants are crucial for improving patient adherence, safety, and comfort.
• Future long-acting implants will be vital for prophylaxis and treatment of global health issues, including infectious diseases.
• These implants offer opportunities for differentiated products and reduced healthcare costs for chronic conditions.