Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) as psychotherapeutic couriers

Summary & key facts

This paper looks at a technology called self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems, or SNEDDS. SNEDDS are oil-based mixes that turn into very tiny droplets when they meet the fluids in the gut. The paper explains how these tiny droplets can help drugs that do not dissolve well in water get into the body more reliably. The authors say SNEDDS could be useful for carrying psychotherapeutic drugs, but they also point out there are technical and safety questions that need more studies before this can help patients.

Key facts:

• SNEDDS are formulations made from oils and surfactants that form tiny oil droplets, called nanoemulsions, when they contact fluid in the gut. This helps drugs that do not dissolve in water to become more available for absorption.
• Using SNEDDS can protect some drugs from breaking down in the digestive tract and can change how quickly and how much of a drug gets into the bloodstream.
• The paper suggests SNEDDS could be used to deliver psychotherapeutic drugs so the medicines are absorbed more reliably or act more predictably, but this is a proposed use and not yet established in people.
• There are practical challenges to using SNEDDS for psychotherapeutic drugs. These include making stable formulations, ensuring long-term safety, controlling how fast the drug is released, and manufacturing the products at scale.
• The authors stress that more laboratory work and clinical testing are needed before SNEDDS-based psychotherapeutic treatments could be used in patients. They do not claim these systems are ready for clinical use yet.

Topics

Advanced Drug Delivery Systems Drug Solubulity and Delivery Systems Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery

Categories

Life Sciences Pharmaceutical Science Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

Tags

Delivery system Drug Drug delivery Intensive care medicine Medical emergency Medicine MEDLINE Perspective (graphical) Psychiatry Public health