Anticancer Drug Delivery Agents

Novel drug delivery systems (NDDS) have many benefits, which include improved therapy by increasing the efficacy and duration of drug activity, increased patient compliance through decreased dosing frequency and convenient routes of administration and improved targeting for a specific site to reduce unwanted side effects. The challenge for both drug and drug delivery companies is to deliver both existing and emerging drug technologies in a manner that improves the benefits to the patients. Over the past several years, great advances have been made on development of novel drug delivery systems of anticancer drug (NDDS).The variety of novel formulations like polymeric nanoparticles, nanocapsules, liposomes, phytosomes, nanoemulsions, microsphere, hydrogels has been reported using bioactive and plant extracts. The novel formulations are reported to have remarkable advantages over conventional formulations of anticancer which include enhancement of solubility, bioavailability, protection from toxicity, enhancement of pharmacological activity, enhancement of stability, improved tissue macrophages distribution, sustained delivery, and protection from physical and chemical degradation. The present review highlights the current status of the development of novel formulations and summarizes their method of preparation, type of active ingredients, size, and entrapment efficiency, route of administration, biological activity and applications of novel formulations.