Introduction: Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the most effective broad-spectrum chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of cancers. However, its clinical application has been limited due to its poor water solubility. Its current clinical administration uses the adjuvant of serious side effects and has undesired pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. There is, thus, a need for the development of alternate drug delivery systems of PTX to enhance its solubility, permeability and stability and further to promote a sustained, controlled and targeted delivery that will increase its therapeutic effects and reduce its side effects.
Areas covered: This review is focused on recent developments of the various PTX delivery systems such as prodrugs, micelles, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanoparticles of biodegradable polymers, dendrimers, nanohydrogels, as well as PTX-eluting stents.
Expert opinion: Pharmaceutical nanotechnology can provide solutions to solve the problems encountered in drug formulation and drug delivery and may change the way drugs are made. The various nanocarriers could have high efficiency in drug encapsulation and cellular uptake, escape from elimination by microphages due to their appropriate size and surface modification and realize with ligand conjugation-targeted delivery.