Self-Micro-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems: In-Depth Review on Enhancing Solubility and Therapeutic Efficacy of BCS Class II Drugs.

Abstract

The development of self-micro-emulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) has revolutionized pharmaceutical formulation by providing an advanced method of increasing medication bioavailability and therapeutic effectiveness. The systems encapsulate hydrophobic drugs in nanoscale droplets and enable them to be soluble and stable in water via the spontaneous formation of oil in water emulsions when gently agitated. Using SMEDDS, pharmaceuticals can be extended to offer enhanced therapeutic potential, and new medicines can be developed that were previously impossible to develop due to their bioavailability limitations. They are versatile and user-friendly, helping to reduce pill burden and improve comfort, which can support better compliance and outcomes. Challenges such as formulation stability and regulatory compliance have been identified in various literature as hurdles for adopting SMEDDS in clinical applications. To address these gaps, this work covers multiple components used in SMEDDS, their classification, formulation methods, characterization, and their advantages and disadvantages. In order to expedite the application of Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SEDDS) in pharmaceutical research, it offers comprehensive statistics on all the necessary aspects of self-micro-emulsifying formulations. Several emulsion-based technologies suitable for edible delivery methods in the drug, cosmetics, and other industries are described. These consist of filled hydrogel particles, solid lipid particles, multiple emulsions, multilayer emulsions, and traditional emulsions.