Recent Advances in Studying In Vitro Drug Permeation Across Mucosal Membranes

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Biomedical Engineering
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Transmucosal drug products (aerosols, films, semisolids, suppositories, tablets) target various diseases.
• Mucosal drug absorption depends on tissue structure and administration route physiology (nasal, rectal, vaginal).
• In vitro permeation testing (IVPT) is a cost-effective method for evaluating drug release and permeation in transmucosal delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review mucosal permeation barriers for different transmucosal routes.
• To discuss considerations for developing in vitro permeation testing (IVPT) methods.
• To highlight the role of IVPT in formulation, quality control, and bioequivalence of transmucosal drug products.

Main Methods:

• Summary of key mucosal permeation barriers for nasal, rectal, and vaginal routes.
• Overview of established IVPT methods: vertical diffusion cell, flow-through diffusion cell, Ussing chamber, and transwell systems.
• Discussion of emerging techniques like optical methods for in vitro drug permeation studies.

Main Results:

• Identification of critical transmucosal permeation barriers.
• Comparison of various IVPT methodologies for their suitability in drug delivery research.
• Exploration of the potential for in vitro-in vivo correlation (IVIVC) in transmucosal drug development.

Conclusions:

• IVPT is a valuable tool for formulation development and quality control of transmucosal drug delivery systems.
• Future research should focus on advanced IVPT methods and establishing robust IVIVCs.
• IVPT holds significant potential for in vitro bioequivalence assessments of locally acting transmucosal products.