Topical drug delivery systems: a patent review
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Topical administration is the favored route for local delivery of therapeutic agents due to its convenience and affordability. The specific challenge of designing a therapeutic system is to achieve an optimal concentration of a certain drug at its site of action for an appropriate duration. AREAS COVERED: This review summarizes innovations from the past 3 years (2012-2015) in the field of topical drug delivery for the treatment of local infections of the vagina, nose, eye and skin. The review also throws some light on the anatomy and physiology of these organs and their various defensive barriers which affect the delivery of drugs administered topically. EXPERT OPINION: Topical administration has been gaining attention over the last few years. However, conventional topical drug delivery systems suffer from drawbacks such as poor retention and low bioavailability. The successful formulation of topical delivery products requires the careful manipulation of defensive barriers and selection of a soluble drug carrier. Extensive research is required to develop newer topical drug delivery systems aiming either to improve the efficacy or to reduce side effects compared to current patented systems.
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Only 1%-5% of the total dose administered topically can penetrate into intraocular tissue.
“Consequently, it is estimated that only 1 %–5 % of the total dose administered can penetrate into intraocular tissue.”
From From design to Deployment: The innovative role of nanomicelles in targeted ophthalmic therapeutics (2025) · cites this paper as [54]
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Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
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From design to Deployment: The innovative role of nanomicelles in targeted ophthalmic therapeutics
Sun, M., Wang, J., Fan, W., Wang, K., Wang, Y., Zhang, J., Ding, S., Zhang, C., Feng, Z., Wang, Y.-G., et al. (2025) · Materials today. Bio · doi:10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.102537 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“Drug loss may also occur through the adsorption into systemic circulation via near-surface blood vessels [54].”
- Authors
- Singh Malik, D., Mital, N., & Kaur, G.
- Affiliations
- Punjabi University (IN)
- Corresponding author
- Kaur, Gurpreet
- ORCID
- Kaur, Gurpreet
- Venue
- Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2016-01-08
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 213-228
- ISSN
- 1354-3776 (ISSN-L)
- 1744-7674
- OpenAlex
- W2210405447
- Cited by
- 192
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 10
- FWCI
- 0.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology (F. No. SB/FT/LS-177/2012)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmaceutical Science › Advancements in Transdermal Drug Delivery
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmaceutical Science › Advanced Drug Delivery Systems
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Dermatology and Skin Diseases
- Keywords
- topical drug delivery, topical formulation, vaginal infection, intranasal drug delivery, ocular drug delivery, dermal drug delivery, drug retention, bioavailability, skin barrier, ocular barriers, drug carriers, patents
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Topical, Animals, Biological Availability, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical, Drug Carriers, Pharmaceutical Preparations, Humans, Patents as Topic, Drug Design, Drug Delivery Systems
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