Drug forms of levothyroxine. Is there room for innovation in hypothyroidism treatment?

Abstract

Levothyroxine steadily maintains its position as the «gold standard» in the treatment of hypothyroidism. Despite the possibility of step-by-step tableted dose titration of levothyroxine, the results of many studies reliably point to the fact that a significant number of patients do not reach the target level of thyroid hormone. One of the main reasons for the therapy ineffectiveness is the inconvenience of levothyroxine sodium regimen for many patients, associated with the need to observe certain time intervals before meals and other medications. The above-mentioned factors have stimulated a number of studies aimed at developing new dosage forms with significant advantages in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs. The review provides the latest data on the new dosage forms of levothyroxine. Further large-scale clinical trials are needed for a more reasonable and widespread use of new dosage forms of levothyroxine in clinical practice.