Approaches to Address PK-PD Challenges of Conventional Liposome Formulation with Special Reference to Cancer, Alzheimer's, Diabetes, and Glaucoma: An Update on Modified Liposomal Drug Delivery System

Abstract

Liposomes nowadays have become a preferential drug delivery system since they provide facilitating properties to drugs, such as improved therapeutic index of encapsulated drug, target and controlled drug delivery, and less toxicity. However, conventional liposomes have shown some disadvantages, such as less drug loading capacity, poor retention, clearance by kidney or reticuloendothelial system, and less release of hydrophilic drugs. Thus, to overcome these disadvantages recently, scientists have explored new approaches and methods, viz., ligand conjugation, polymer coating, and liposome hybrids, including surface-modified liposomes, biopolymer-incorporated liposomes, guest-in-cyclodextrin-in-liposome, liposome-in-hydrogel, liposome-in-film, liposome-in-nanofiber, etc. These approaches have been shown to improve the physiochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of encapsulated drugs. Lately, pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) computational modeling has emerged as a beneficial tool for analyzing the impact of formulation and system-specific factors on the target disposition and therapeutic efficacy of liposomal drugs. There has been an increasing number of liposome-based therapeutic drugs, both FDA approved and those undergoing clinical trials, having application in cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and glaucoma. To meet the continuous demand of health sectors and to produce the desired product, it is important to perform pharmacokinetic studies. This review focuses on the physical, physicochemical, and chemical factors of drugs that influence the target delivery of drugs. It also explains various physiological barriers, such as systemic clearance and extravasation. A novel approach, liposomal-hybrid complex, an innovative approach as a vesicular drug delivery system to overcome limited membrane permeability and bioavailability, has been discussed in the review. Moreover, this review highlights the pharmacokinetic considerations and challenges of poorly absorbed drugs along with the applications of a liposomal delivery system in improving PKPD in various diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and glaucoma.

Keywords: Therapeutic efficacy; bioavailability; blood brain barrier; hybrid; polymer; poorly water-soluble drugs.