Current and future directions of drug delivery for the treatment of mental illnesses

Parker R Brewster; Saif Mohammad Ishraq Bari; Glenn M Walker; Thomas A Werfel

doi:10.1016/j.addr.2023.114824

Current and future directions of drug delivery for the treatment of mental illnesses

Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2023 Jun:197:114824. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114824. Epub 2023 Apr 15.

Authors

Parker R Brewster¹, Saif Mohammad Ishraq Bari², Glenn M Walker², Thomas A Werfel³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA; Department of BioMolecular Sciences, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA; Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA. Electronic address: tawerfel@olemiss.edu.

PMID: 37068660
DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114824

Abstract

Mental illnesses including anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and others exact an immense toll on the healthcare system and society at large. Depression alone impacts 21 million adults and costs over $200 billion annually in the United States. However, pharmaceutical strategies to treat mental illnesses are lagging behind drug development in many other disease areas. Because many of the shortcomings of therapeutics for mental illness relate to delivery problems, drug delivery technologies have the potential to radically improve the effectiveness of therapeutics for these diseases. This review describes the current pharmacotherapeutic approaches to treating mental illnesses as well as drug delivery approaches that have improved existing therapies. Approaches to improve drug bioavailability, provide controlled release of therapeutics, and enable drug targeting to the central nervous system (CNS) will be highlighted. Moreover, next-generation delivery approaches such as environmentally-controlled release and interval/sequential drug release will be addressed. Based on the evolving landscape of the treatment of mental illnesses, the nascent field of drug delivery in mental health has tremendous potential for growth in terms of both economic and patient impact.

Keywords: Environmentally responsive delivery; Intranasal delivery; Mental Illness; Pulsatile delivery; Transdermal delivery.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adult
Autism Spectrum Disorder*
Delayed-Action Preparations
Drug Delivery Systems
Humans
Mental Disorders* / drug therapy
Pharmacy*
United States

Substances

Delayed-Action Preparations

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding