Microsponges: a futuristic approach for oral drug delivery.
BACKGROUND
Microparticulate drug delivery systems have, due to their advantages, guided researchers across the globe to explore them as drug carriers. This has, sequentially, led to the development of microsponges in 1988. These porous microspheres were exclusively designed for chronotherapeutic topical drug delivery but attempts to utilize them for oral, pulmonary and parenteral drug delivery were also made. Researchers have extensively studied their properties and characteristics affecting the drug release and loading. Various advances were made with this carrier particle resulting in the development of various novel development techniques and carrier particles.


METHODS
This review deals with the considerations of the drug material to be entrapped in microsponges, pharmaceutical considerations for fabrication of microsponges, their potential for oral drug delivery, clinical perspectives and also provides an insight on the recent advances made in this field and future prospect.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical studies show that these carriers can increase drug efficacy. Due to their potential advantages over other carrier particles, microsponges form a prospective platform for the oral delivery of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals. Although these carriers have several advantages, they too possess some drawbacks which limit their commercialization for oral application.
Department of Pharmaceutics, Rajiv Academy for Pharmacy, Mathura, India. rishabh345@gmail.com
Rishabh
R
Srivastava
Kamla
K
Pathak
D000284:Administration, Oral; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D008863:Microspheres; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016062:Porosity
D004337:Drug Carriers; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations