Making a drug deliverable to the target site, is the essence of drug manufacturing, because if the drug is unable to reach the target site and thereby fails to treat the adverse body-condition, then that drug will not be preferred by healthcare professionals as well as the patients. And one such advanced drug-delivery approach is ‘Liposomal Drug Delivery’. Liposome is a tiny bubble or spherical shaped vesicle which is made up of material similar to that of cell membrane, that is, lipid bilayer. Due to this composition, liposome becomes biocompatible and therefore preferred in delivery of various drugs to the body.
Liposomal Drug Delivery is an emerging technique of drug deliverance effectively, by reducing toxicity and targeting the specific site where the drug’s composition is required inside the body. This drug delivery system is also marking its presence in cancer treatment as well by providing anti-cancer drugs using liposomal drug delivery method. Doxil® is the first FDA-approved liposomal drug delivery based anti-cancer medicine and thus showing the onset of the concept of nano-drug in oncology.
Size and structure of liposome make it a favorable choice for developing this drug delivery system-
- Shape: spherical
- Size: 25 nm (0.025 micrometre) to several micrometres, for biomedical applications, preferably 50-500 nm.
- Composition: Phospholipids, cholesterol
Size and bilayers of liposome play key role while developing drugs with liposome being their ‘mode of delivery’ to the target site.
Schematic representation of liposome. Source: Link 4
Liposomal Drug Delivery system involves medications such Doxil, DepoCyt and other being the anti-cancer drugs; Nyotran as the liposomal formulation of antifungal drug, and many other.
Enlist some more drugs that have employed liposomal drug delivery system to reach their target precisely and work effectively. Also, you’re welcomed to share your thoughts or knowledge on this advancing drug delivery system.
References:
Link 1 Basak S, Das TK. Liposome-based drug delivery systems: from laboratory research to industrial production—instruments and challenges. ChemEngineering. 2025 May 27;9(3):56.
Link 2 Sengar A. Innovations and mechanisms in liposomal drug delivery: A comprehensive introduction.
Link 3 Special Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems
Link 4 Nsairat H, Khater D, Sayed U, Odeh F, Al Bawab A, Alshaer W. Liposomes: structure, composition, types, and clinical applications. Heliyon. 2022 May 1;8(5).
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