The Microsponge Drug Delivery System : For Delivering an Active Ingredient by Controlled Time Release

The expanding arena of emerging drugs, increased sensitivity to clinical outcomes and healthcare costs are driving the need for alternative drug delivery methods and devices. The drug delivery technology landscape has become highly competitive and rapidly evolving. More and more developments in delivery systems are being integrated to optimize the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the therapy. New classes of pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals (peptides, proteins and DNA-based therapeutics) are fueling the rapid evolution of drug delivery technology. These new drugs typically cannot be effectively delivered by conventional means. The benefits from targeted, localized delivery of therapeutic agents are other driving forces for the market. Drug delivery systems (DDS) that can precisely control the release rates or target drugs to a specific body site have had an enormous impact on the health care system. Carrier technology offers an intelligent approach for drug delivery by coupling the drug to a carrier particle such as microspheres, nanoparticles, liposomes, etc. which modulates the release and absorption characteristics of the drug. Microspheres constitute an important part of these particulate DDS by virtue of their small size and efficient carrier characteristics. 1