Nowadays, a very large proportion of new drug candidates emerging from drug discovery programmes are water insoluble and thus poorly bioavailable. To avoid this problem, nanotechnology for drug delivery has gained much interest as a way to improve the solubility problems. Nano refers to particles size range of 1-1000 nm. The reduction of drug particles into the submicron range leads to a significant increase in the dissolution rate and therefore enhances bioavailability. Nanosuspensions are part of nanotechnology. This interacts with the body at subcellular (i.e., molecular) scales with a high degree of specificity and can be potentially translated into targeted cellular and tissue-specific clinical applications designed to achieve maximal therapeutic efficacy with minimal side effects. Production of drugs as nanosuspensions can be developed for drug delivery systems as an oral formulation and nonoral administration. Here, this review describes the methods of pharmaceutical nanosuspension production including advantages and disadvantages, potential benefits, characterization tests, and pharmaceutical applications in drug delivery.

Medicated chewing gum has a history for about a century. Now-a-days it is considered to be a potential and conve-nient modified release drug delivery system which can be used in pain relief medication, smoking cessation, travel illness, freshening of breath, prevention of dental caries, alleviation of xerostomia, vitamin or mineral supplementa-tion etc. Medicated chewing gums are prepared by using a water insoluble gum base with water soluble bulk portion. This formulation offers both local and systemic effects and has a range of advantages over conventional oral solid dosage forms. USP currently has no in vitro release testing apparatus for the evaluation and determination of drug release from the prepared chewing gums. But European Pharmacopoeia adopted a compendial apparatus to do so. Medicated chewing has drawn attention to the researchers as potential drug delivery system and it could be a com-mercial success in near future.Key Words: pharmaceutical chewing gum, gum base, oral mucosal drug delivery, buccal membrane, apparatus.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/icpj.v1i4.10064International Current Pharmaceutical Journal 2012, 1(4): 86-91

In recent years natural polymers have been widely used because of their effectiveness and availability over synthetic polymers. In this present investigation matrix tablets of Metformin hydrochloride were formulated using Water hyacinth powder and its rate retardant activity was studied. Tablets were prepared using wet granulation method with 8% starch as granulating agent and 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% of Water hyacinth powder to the drug. In preformulation study, angle of repose, Carr's Index and Hausner ratio were calculated. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies were performed and no interactions were found between drug and excipients. Weight variation, friability, hardness, thickness, diameter, and in vitro release study were performed with the prepared matrix tablets. Dissolution studies were conducted using USP type II apparatus at a speed of 100 rpm at 37°C ± 0.5 temperature for 8 h. Though all the formulations comply with both BP and USP requirements, formulation F-1 (5% of Water hyacinth) was the best fitted formula. The drug release patterns were explained in different kinetic models such as Zero order, First order, Higuchi, Hixson Crowell, and Korsmeyer-Peppas equations. The current investigation implies that Water hyacinth has the potential to be used as a rate-retarding agent in sustained release drug formulations.

It was 1980s when the first therapeutic protein was launched in the market. It was recombinant DNAderived insulin. Since its inception, within the worldwide pharmaceutical sector, protein therapeutics has been enjoying the fastest growth, notably for the last few years. As a result it is assumed that the treatment methodology with the conventional drug therapy will be shifted towards therapeutic proteins in near future. It made revolution in the treatment of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases. The major segments in protein therapeutics are monoclonal antibody, insulin, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), coagulation factors etc. In this review paper we will discuss the general aspects of protein therapeutics with their advantages over small-molecule drugs, functional classification of therapeutic proteins and their uses. The pharmacokinetics of protein therapeutics, especially from the distribution and elimination characteristics of therapeutic proteins will be discussed in brief with relevant examples. The major challenges and future perspectives will also be presented in short.