title: Nanopharmaceuticals (part 1): products on the market.
abstract: In 2000, the National Institute of Health launched the National Nanotechnology Initiative to support, coordinate, and advance research and development of nanoscale projects. The impact of this new program on health-science related research and development became quickly visible. Broad governmental financial support advanced the start of new, and the deepening of already existing, interdisciplinary research. The anticipated merger of nanoscience with medicine quickly instigated the conceptualization of nanomedicine. The adoption of nanoscience terminology by pharmaceutical scientists resulted in the advent of nanopharmaceuticals. The term "nano" became tantamount to "cutting-edge" and was quickly embraced by the pharmaceutical science community. Colloidal drug delivery systems reemerged as nanodrug delivery systems; colloidal gold became a suspension of nano gold particles. In this review, we first review nanoscience related definitions applied to pharmaceuticals, we then discuss all 43 currently approved drug formulations which are publicized as nanopharmaceuticals, and finally we analyze clinical aspects of selected drug formulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Midwestern University College of Pharmacy Glendale, Glendale, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Volkmar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Weissig
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA.
authors.forename: Tracy K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Pettinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Midwestern University College of Pharmacy Glendale, Glendale, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Murdock
mesh_terms: D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations
keywords: amphotericin-B; drug delivery; fenofibrate; nanodrugs; nanomedicine; nanoparticle