Novel drug delivery system

Ethosomes are advanced and modified form of liposomes, which are applied as carriers for transdermal drug delivery. These are developed by Professor Elka Touitou from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, to enhance the drug administration of amphiphilic drugs. These are soft and flexible lipid vesicles having phospholipids, water, and alcohol in high concentrations about to 20-45% approximately. Ethosomes are easy to prepare through different common methods named as thin film hydration method, cold method, hot method and injection method. These provide enhanced permeation of drugs, highly drug loading capacity, better control over drug release, non-parenteral drug delivery having ability to encapsulate diverse molecular spectrum range. Another key advantage of ethosomes is that they provide excellent patient compliance since these are able to apply as semi-solid formulations, such as gel or cream. The evaluation criteria, such as vesicle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, In-vitro permeation studies and In-vivo permeation studies, support their effectiveness in targeted drug delivery. Ethosomes demonstrated positive results and the capability to enhance the distribution of amphiphilic drug molecules. This article provides a comprehensive review of ethosomes including their distinctive properties, composition, methods of preparation, physicochemical properties, methods of penetration and the areas of their application in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries. The article examines objectives of ethosomal research as one way of achieving the goal of developing non-invasive drug delivery systems and reports on recent advancements, issues and future prospects. They also put sufficient evidence of the effectiveness of ethosomal therapy in being viable nanocarriers for drug delivery. 

Insulin remains indispensable in the management of diabetes mellitus since its discovery in 1921. Relatively, a large percentage of world population is affected by diabetes mellitus. In today's era; insulin delivery by alternative route is an area of current interest in the design of drug delivery system. Most of the global pharmaceutical companies are showing encouraging progress in their attempts to develop alternative insulin delivery technologies. For most patients with type 1 diabetes, the tedious part of the treatment is to tolerate needle after needle, both for glucose measurement and to deliver insulin. The introduction of insulin therapy years ago has saved the lives of millions of patients with diabetes. It is growing increase in the percentage of population having diabetes mellitus due to hereditary and environmental factor.  Needle-free insulin delivery appeared to be astonishing approach and its allure rested in being comfortable and safe. The document present here encompass, in brief, the emerging technologies and discoveries that are in pipeline, including insulin inhalers, implantable insulin pumps, insulin spray, smart cells, insulin pill, insulin complement, islet cell transplant, insulin nano pump and the other promising advances in safe and comfortable insulin delivery. Therefore it will be a tripartite task for the researcher, health authorities and community pharmacist to foster the long term safety profile and to provide comfortable insulin delivery.

  Pelletization is a novel drug delivery system; a technique which converts fine powder particles into pellets. These oral multiparticulate drug-delivery systems offer biopharmaceutical advantages with respect to predictable and even distribution and transportation in the gastro-intestinal tract. It has many advantages compared to single-unit dosage forms for ease of filling, better flow properties of spherical pellets, sustained, controlled or site-specific drug delivery, even distribution in the GI tract, less GI irritation, good bioavailability, ease of coating and uniform packing. Pelletization is easier and simple technique compared to granulation in order to develop a site-specific drug delivery system. There are different techniques in the preparation of pellets for a drug which includes hot-melt extrusion, extrusion spheronization, spray drying, spray congealing, roto granulation and drug layering. This article is divided into introduction containing the definition of Pelletization and its need, second part includes the preparation of pellets and the two most widely used methods; extrusion-spheronization and hot-melt techniques, third part includes advantages, problems faced during pelletization and the final part consists of the importance of pelletization over granulation. This multiparticulate drug delivery system can be used in formulations requiring immediate as well as prolonged release. Hence they can be formulated for chewable and disintegrating tablets1. Key words: Pelletization, Multiparticulate drug delivery system, Novel drug delivery system, Pellets, Granulation.