Celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor is commonly used in the treatment of arthritis. Recently, cardiotoxic effects associated with conventional modes of delivery of celecoxib have made it pertinent to develop alternate dosage forms capable of selectively delivering the drug topically to affected joints. The aim of the present study was to prepare and characterize niosomal gel formulation for sustained and site-specific delivery of celecoxib. Celecoxib loaded niosomes were prepared and characterized in vitro, ex-vivo and in vivo. The results of organ localization (deep skin layer + muscle) study showed that niosomal gel provided 6.5 times higher drug deposition as compared to carbopol gel (195.2+/-8.7 and 30.0+/-1.5 microg, respectively). The muscle to plasma concentration ratio for niosomal gel formulation was six (2.16+/-0.12 microg/g vs. 0.34+/-0.01 microg/ml) and for carbopol gel it was one (0.36+/-0.01 microg/g vs. 0.43+/-0.02 microg/ml). Biological effectiveness of optimized formulation was evaluated using carrageenan induced rat paw edema model. The application of niosomal gel produced significant reduction of rat paw edema as compared to that after application of conventional gel indicating better skin permeation and deposition of celecoxib from niosomes. The results of the present study demonstrated niosomal gel formulation possess great potential for enhanced skin accumulation, prolonging drug release and improving the site specificity of celecoxib.

Approximately 50% active substances discovered by combinatorial chemistry and high-throughput screening show poor solubility in water. Out of various available approaches "Nanoedege technology" (Combination of Precipitation and Homogenization) was selected. Amphotericin B (Amp B) was used as a model drug. Three different preparations of Amp B were produced by using three different surfactants Tween80, Pluronic F68, Soya Lecithin and assessed for their efficacy and stability. In this study the Amp B nanosuspension formulation, with the smaller particle size, can be effectively produced with the Nanoedge Method. The pharmacokinetic profiles of Amp B when given in the nanosuspension formulation were different compared to the corresponding raw drug.

Background: Perinatal asphyxia is a common cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in India. Antenatal surveillance prevents foetal injury and death and improves long term neurological outcome through optimal timing of delivery while avoiding unnecessary interventions such as caesarean delivery or preterm delivery.Methods: After thorough history and physical examination, all patients underwent BPP assessment with USG and electronic foetal heart rate tracing and association between BPP score and various parameters were studied. Results: Low BPP scores were associated with low Apgar score, increased rate of neonatal admissions and increased neonatal deaths. For BPP score of 6 there were 5 deaths constituting 71.4% of the total cases.Conclusions: BPP score was found to be significantly associated with Apgar score and neonatal outcomes.