Recent Patents on Drug Delivery & Formulation - Volume 6, Issue 1, 2012

Recent Patents on Drug Delivery & Formulation meets challenges to publish review and research articles, drug clinical trial studies with the major impact on recent patents on drug delivery and formulation. A content and overview of important and recent patents on drug delivery and formulation is included in the journal. The journal is essential reading for all researchers involved in the fields of drug delivery and formulation. The aims of RPDDF are certainly ambitious, for we pretend not only to attract the best researchers, nanotechnologists and pharmaceutical technologists worldwide working in drug formulation and drug delivery areas, but also to offer a magazine to the readers where the most advanced Biomedical pharmaceutical publications fit to print can be certain to be found. This requires the support of a prestigious house as Bentham Science, which we gratefully acknowledge, in particular to their very efficient and kind staff and professional Editors and assistants. We also are fortunate to count with a superb list of Editorial Board Members, all very distinguished professionals in their fields, and who shall ensure the quality of the material to be published. I believe this present issue truly represents the broad field that includes novel attractive approaches in the treatment of various biological disorders. Dr. Carlos Spuch et al. reviewed the intriguing topic of making advances in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders employing nanoparticles. Nanotechnologies hold great promise in brain therapy as they protect the therapeutic agent and allow its sustained release; the nanoparticles can be used as gene delivery vehicles. In recent years, nanotechnology had patented new formulations and has evolved as a new treatment for brain diseases, especially for neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this review was to summarize the last patents, clinical trials and news related with nanoparticles technology for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.....

Nanoparticles could potentially revolutionise treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and strokes. Nanotechnologies hold great promise in brain therapy as they protect the therapeutic agent and allow its sustained release; the nanoparticles can be used as gene delivery vehicles. The application of neurotrophic factors is able to modulate neuronal survival and synaptic connectivity and it is a promising therapeutic approach for many neurodegenerative diseases, however, due to limitations posed by the restrictive blood brain barrier (BBB), it is very difficult to ensure long-term administration in the brain. Drug delivery to the brain remains the major challenge for the treatment of all neurodegenerative diseases because of the numerous protective barriers surrounding the central nervous system (CNS). New therapeutics with the capacity to cross the BBB is critically needed for treatment of these diseases. In recent years, nanotechnology had patented new formulations and has evolved as a new treatment for brain diseases, especially for neurodegenerative diseases, where genetically engineered cells can be used to deliver specific growth factors to target cells. Overall, the aim of this review is to summarize the last patents, clinical trials and news related with nanoparticles technology for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a small, double-stranded RNA molecule that can suppress expression of specific genes. It will be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of viral and genetic diseases, such as HIV infection and cancer. However, it is extremely challenging to systemically deliver siRNA to the intended sites of action due to a variety of extracellular and intracellular barriers. Over the past decade, many novel patents have been developed to improve delivery efficiency and therapeutic efficacy of siRNA. The features of the carriers and technologies for systemic delivery of siRNA in these patents are summarized, and their clinical applications are discussed in this review.

In this paper recent patents in pressurised metered dose inhalers have been reviewed. The patents are related to novel valves, dose-counters, formulations, add-on devices, reduction of propellant leakage and inkjet technology. Recently patented dose-counters provide mechanisms that are less susceptible to inaccuracy, and are battery-less electronic dose-counters with the help of miniature electromechanical generators. Regarding the formulation aspect, recent patents provide methods for combinational pMDIs and more stable products. Advantages of recently patented valves are being spring-free and less subject to loss of prime. Recent developments in micromachining have allowed patents that incorporate inkjet technology to develop inhalers that are similar to pMDIs, but produce uniform aerosol droplets. Coating canisters with suitable polymers has reduced need for excipients. Recently patented add-on devices reduce aerosol deposition in the spacer by creating turbulence on the walls of the chamber. Blockage of nozzles in actuators is prevented by providing tapered nozzle channels. In conclusion, these patents show better understanding of pMDIs and provide methods to achieve products with much improved reliability, aerosol performance and stability.

siRNA inhibits protein expression by degrading complementary mRNA sequence and hence, it is widely applicable for the treatment of various diseases where single or multiple gene knock down is necessary. Due to the severity and lethality of pulmonary diseases, siRNA has been focused for improved health in these diseases. Pulmonary accumulation of siRNA can be achieved by different means like intranasal or inhalation administration or intratracheal route which is mainly utilized for in vivo animal studies. However, various pulmonary obstacles and intracellular barriers for siRNA transport challenge this novel therapeutic moiety. Researchers have utilized different viral and non-viral delivery vectors for intracellular delivery of siRNA to knock down target mRNA. The promise of RNA interference, mediated by siRNAs, has revolutionized the prospects for modulating gene expression as a way to achieve therapeutic aims in disease treatment. This review focuses on patents describing the siRNA delivery either in naked form or along with a single/multiple delivery vectors. Many inventors have shown promising results for pulmonary utilization of siRNA and more concentration on delivery system may make this genomic approach available to the clinics soon.

Conventional drug delivery systems have little control over their drug release and almost no control over the effective concentration at the target site. This kind of dosing pattern may result in constantly changing, unpredictable plasma concentrations. Drugs can be delivered in a controlled pattern over a long period of time by the process of osmosis. Osmotic devices are the most promising strategy based systems for controlled drug delivery. They are the most reliable controlled drug delivery systems and could be employed as oral drug delivery systems. The present review is concerned with the study of drug release through asymmetric membrane capsule systems. When these systems are exposed to water, low levels of water soluble additive are leached from polymeric material i.e. the semipermeable membrane and the drug releases in a controlled manner over an extended period of time. Drug delivery from this system is not influenced by the different physiological factors within the gut lumen and the release characteristics can be predicted easily from the known properties of the drug and the dosage form. This patent review is useful in the knowledge of asymmetric membrane capsule osmotic pump for its application.

Post-surgical macular edema is the most common cause of vision loss after phacoemulsification, and one of the main causes of reduced vision in patients undergoing other ocular surgery. At present, there are no reliable randomized clinical trials specifically designed to define the best therapeutic approach, and little information is available regarding the treatment algorithm of acute or chronic forms. As a consequence, there is no agreement regarding the current management of post-surgical macular edema. Many therapeutic options have been proposed on the basis of the hypothesized pathogenetic mechanism of post-surgical macular edema. New therapies for post-surgical macular edema include non-steroidal anti-flammatory drugs and intraocular steroid implants. Aim of the review is to update the current management of postsurgical macular edema, reporting on the most recent therapeutic advances. In particular, we discuss the potential applications of recent patents with topical and intravitreal drugs.

Chronotherapeutics is a novel approach in the treatment of various biological disorders. Circadian rhythms are the important factor in the biological cycle through which the drug dosing should be matched with the rhythms of the diseases for the successful treatment of the illness or the disorder. Through this review it shows that different chronotherapeutic approaches have been successfully employed for treating different biological disorders through different formulation methods, and discussion of recent patents.

The patents annotated in this section have been selected from various patent databases. These recent patents are relevant to the articles published in this journal issue, categorized by therapeutic areas/targets and therapeutic agents related to drug delivery and formulations.