Title:Novel Delivery Systems for Anti-Allergic Agents: Allergic Disease and Innovative Treatments
Volume: 12
Issue: 4
Author(s): Carla M. Lopes, Pedro B. Coelho and Rita Oliveira
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Administration routes, anti-allergic agents, corticosteroids, H1-antihistamines, monoclonal antibodies, novel drug
delivery systems.
Abstract: Anti-allergic agents are used to treat a great variety of diseases which usually involve an inflammation
reaction. These compounds act by inhibiting the release and the effects of inflammatory
mediators (e.g. histamine) in the target tissue. The purpose of anti-allergy therapy is to deliver the drug
to its local of action in a therapeutic concentration, minimizing the undesired side effects. In order to
solve some of the anti-allergic agents’ physicochemical drawbacks and the limitations associated to
conventional pharmaceutical formulations (e.g. poor solubility and absorption, skin permeation, stability), novel drug delivery
systems, such as cyclodextrins, liposomes, micelles, microemulsions, nano and microparticles, have been developed.
Depending on the allergic condition, several administration routes are used to deliver anti-allergic agents, each with
its own disadvantages to overcome. In the literature, there are a vast number of papers concerning novel delivery systems
for anti-allergic agents, making it difficult to evaluate the information and the promising outcomes. The aim of the present
review article is to compile the recent (i.e. in the new millennium) improvements of novel drug delivery technology focusing
on the achievement of anti-allergic therapeutic delivery. The potential intrinsic benefits of these systems will reflect an
increased therapeutic adherence and better patients’ life quality. A critical prospect of future clinical trial directions will
also be discussed.
