Innovations in oral pulmonary and targeted drug delivery technologies

The progress in pharmaceutical sciences has had a remarkable effect in that the traditional dosage forms are now used to manufacture sophisticated, patient-oriented delivery platforms. For instance, the review looks at the innovations across oral, pulmonary, and targeted delivery systems for drugs comprehensively, and importantly, it discusses formulation strategies, mechanistic insights, and the therapeutic relevance of these innovations. Among these modern drug delivery systems are chewable tablets, fast-dissolving films, effervescent, and controlled-release formulations, which all demonstrate their potential for increasing the bioavailability, patient adherence, and clinical efficacy significantly. Drug delivery systems through pulmonary and nasal passages are direct, non-invasive routes for both localized and systemic therapy that employ nanoformulations and inhalation technologies to their advantage in the areas of pharmacokinetics and patient outcomes. At the same time, lipid-based carriers such as liposomes and nanostructured lipid systems have transformed drug encapsulation and targeting accuracy in, for example, cancer therapeutics and controlled release applications. The soon to come self-powered and pinpointed delivery technologies are the frontier in personalized medicine area using body signals and smart material design for release that is both automatic and site-specific. The blend of these various disciplines marks a turning point in treatment paradigms, from conventional medications to smart, effective, and patient-adaptive therapeutic systems. The aim of this article is to bring forth an integrative viewpoint that ties together basic science, formulation development, and translational applications, thereby assisting the worldwide effort in finding the most efficient, next-generation drug delivery solutions.