{"title":"Recent advances in electrospun nanofiber-based implantable drug delivery systems for breast cancer therapy","authors":"Jia Xing, Jingjing Feng, Qilin Wang, Deng-guang Yu and Sim-Wan Annie Bligh","doi":"10.1039/D5PM00265F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PM00265F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Breast cancer (BC) remains the most prevalent malignant tumor among women worldwide. While surgical resection currently serves as one of the primary treatment modalities for BC, traditional surgical approaches face challenges including local recurrence, suboptimal prognosis, and systemic side effects of drug administration. Researchers have recently developed implantable drug delivery systems (IDDS) based on electrospun nanofibers for postoperative BC treatment. These electrospun nanofibers exhibit high porosity and specific surface area, which not only enhance contact area with cancer cells but also enable sustained and controlled drug release at targeted sites. This article provides a concise overview of current BC treatment strategies and electrospinning technology, while systematically reviewing recent studies on electrospun nanofiber-based IDDS for BC therapy. The classification is presented from two perspectives: categorization based on the source of loaded drugs (natural compounds, chemotherapeutic agents, <em>etc</em>.) and classification according to the stimuli type of smart-responsive IDDS (pH-, magnetic-, light-, or electric-triggered systems). Finally, the paper discusses existing challenges in electrospun nanofiber IDDS for BC treatment and proposes future development directions from multiple aspects, including material optimization, intelligent control systems, and clinical translation considerations.</p>","PeriodicalId":101141,"journal":{"name":"RSC Pharmaceutics","volume":" 2","pages":" 276-304"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/pm/d5pm00265f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147558599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thamer Alzoubi, Gary P. Martin, Kendal Pitt, Hetvi Triboandas, Fangyi Chen, Abhimata Paramanandana and Paul G. Royall
{"title":"Evaluating the role of lactose anomeric composition in tablet disintegration and dissolution: a hidden variable in pharmaceutical formulation","authors":"Thamer Alzoubi, Gary P. Martin, Kendal Pitt, Hetvi Triboandas, Fangyi Chen, Abhimata Paramanandana and Paul G. Royall","doi":"10.1039/D4PM00256C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4PM00256C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Lactose, a chiral excipient, is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as a diluent because it is safe and has developable physical properties. However, there are stability issues; β lactose powder stored at 40 °C/75% RH will epimerize from the β to the α chiral form within 7 days. The influence of lactose chiral composition on medicine stability is poorly understood but is likely to be valuable when ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the finished pharmaceutical product (FPP). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the anomeric composition of lactose on tablet properties. Tablets with a higher α lactose content (79.5/20.5 α/β % w/w (α79%)) demonstrated faster disintegration times when compared to tablets formulated with a higher β content (13.5/86.5 α/β % w/w (α13%)), <em>i.e.</em>, 27 s compared to 220 s. Differences in tablet hardness (<em>p</em> ≤ 0.05) were also observed, with tablets containing a higher α composition exhibiting higher hardness (<em>i.e.</em>, 207 N as opposed to 170 N under a 40 kN compression force). The release of acetylsalicylic acid was found to be faster from tablets that were formulated with ‘aged’ or epimerised lactose (α79%) compared to those produced using β lactose, as received (α13%), the respective <em>T</em><small><sub>90</sub></small> values being 60 and 91 min. To conclude, it is apparent that the stereoisomeric effects of lactose excipients on tablets are evident, and therefore, the measurement of anomeric content is advised prior to tablet manufacture.</p>","PeriodicalId":101141,"journal":{"name":"RSC Pharmaceutics","volume":" 2","pages":" 538-551"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/pm/d4pm00256c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147558534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emma Etter, Alita F. Miller, Timothy Little, Sri Sruthi Potluru, Srilekha Venkatraman and Juliane Nguyen
{"title":"Effects of microparticle composition on colony morphology and viability of encapsulated therapeutic yeast for oral delivery","authors":"Emma Etter, Alita F. Miller, Timothy Little, Sri Sruthi Potluru, Srilekha Venkatraman and Juliane Nguyen","doi":"10.1039/D5PM00288E","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5PM00288E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Engineered live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) offer a promising avenue for targeted drug delivery, particularly within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Among microbial chassis, <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> (<em>S. cerevisiae</em>) is recognized as a highly favorable platform due to its safety profile, genetic amenability, and potential for dual functionality as both a therapeutic protein producer and probiotic. However, oral delivery of LBPs remains challenging due to the harsh conditions of the GI tract, which compromise microbial viability and therapeutic efficacy. To address this, we developed alginate-based hydrogel particles designed to encapsulate <em>S. cerevisiae</em> for oral administration and systematically evaluated their performance under simulated physiological conditions. Notably, we demonstrated that colony size can be tuned through specific alginate formulations, and that colony morphology significantly influences cell survival. Our findings establish key design principles for optimizing hydrogel carriers to enhance the viability and therapeutic potential of engineered microbial therapeutics.</p>","PeriodicalId":101141,"journal":{"name":"RSC Pharmaceutics","volume":" 2","pages":" 507-525"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12801120/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145992438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rahul Tiwari, Matthew Alexander, Julie Sanderson, Robert A. Broad, Cheng-Chun Peng, Dharmendra Jani and Sheng Qi
{"title":"High-precision deposition and controlled release of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid from contact lens surfaces using nanoelectrospray†","authors":"Rahul Tiwari, Matthew Alexander, Julie Sanderson, Robert A. Broad, Cheng-Chun Peng, Dharmendra Jani and Sheng Qi","doi":"10.1039/D5PM00237K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PM00237K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Using additive manufacturing processes to selectively modify soft and wet polymer surfaces, such as soft contact lenses, with micrometer-level precision for applications, including controlled delivery of active ingredients, can be challenging. This study demonstrates the use of a novel nanoelectrospray (nES) process as a technical solution to deposit precise amounts of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA), a highly water-soluble anionic glycosaminoglycan, onto predefined locations on the surface of soft contact lenses, and subsequently release it in a sustained manner. nES allows precise deposition of nano- to micrometer-thick layers outside the central optical zone. To achieve the sustained release of HA from the lens, a chemical modification of the polymer surface was developed to allow the lens surface to be covalently linked with a semi-interpenetrating network (IPN) layer containing entrapped HA after deposition by nES. Additional zein barrier layers applied by nES over the HA layer led to further reduction in the release rate of HA from the lenses. The results confirmed that the selective nES deposition allowed modification of the lens surface without affecting optical properties in the central vision zone of the soft contact lenses. The results suggested that the HA release kinetics can be strongly affected by multiple factors, including the degree of crosslinking, the molecular size of the crosslinker, the addition of a photoinitiator and the polymeric barrier layer. This study demonstrated the potential of nES as an alternative approach for surface modification and drug loading to commercially available contact lenses for treating ocular conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":101141,"journal":{"name":"RSC Pharmaceutics","volume":" 2","pages":" 526-537"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/pm/d5pm00237k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147558533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing the bioavailability of sparingly-soluble drugs by expandable, solid-solution fibrous dosage forms","authors":"Aron H. Blaesi, Henning Richter and Nannaji Saka","doi":"10.1039/D5PM00195A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PM00195A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Many kinds of drug are sparingly soluble in the acidic gastric fluid, and are practically insoluble in the pH-neutral intestinal fluid. The efficacy of oral therapies employing such drugs is often limited by the amount of drug that can be delivered into the blood stream. For enhancing the amount delivered, in the present work an expandable, solid-solution fibrous dosage form is presented. The dosage form investigated was a cross-ply structure of fibers comprising 200 mg of the sparingly-soluble drug nilotinib molecularly dispersed in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-based excipient. Upon administering to a dog, it expanded to a normalized radial expansion of 0.5 within an hour and resided in the stomach for about five hours. The drug concentration in blood rose to a maximum of 1.82 µg ml<small><sup>−1</sup></small> by 4 hours, and decayed exponentially thereafter. The bioavailability (area under the drug concentration in blood <em>versus</em> time curve) was 10.81 µg h ml<small><sup>−1</sup></small>. For comparison, the maximum drug concentration of an immediate-release capsule filled with 200 mg crystalline nilotinib particles was 0.68 µg ml<small><sup>−1</sup></small> by 2.5 hours. The bioavailability was 2.94 µg h ml<small><sup>−1</sup></small>, a third of that of the fibrous form. Models suggest that the greater bioavailability of the fibrous dosage form is due to increased gastric residence time and supersaturation of the gastric fluid with the drug.</p>","PeriodicalId":101141,"journal":{"name":"RSC Pharmaceutics","volume":" 1","pages":" 88-102"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/pm/d5pm00195a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146049314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Talat Nahid Khan, Mohammed Naeem Khan, Poullette R. Oduor, Heather Nesbitt, Thomas McKaig, Anthony P. McHale, John F. Callan and Bridgeen Callan
{"title":"Polymersomal delivery enhances third-generation photodynamic therapy with the first white-light-activated peptide photosensitiser for melanoma","authors":"Talat Nahid Khan, Mohammed Naeem Khan, Poullette R. Oduor, Heather Nesbitt, Thomas McKaig, Anthony P. McHale, John F. Callan and Bridgeen Callan","doi":"10.1039/D5PM00259A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PM00259A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an established cancer treatment, yet its clinical utility in melanoma remains restricted by poor photosensitiser delivery, light penetration, and melanin interference. Here, we report a polymersomal nanocarrier system encapsulating the peptide–photosensitiser conjugate RB-K2 as a novel strategy to overcome these barriers. The polymersomes, engineered from amphiphilic block copolymers, demonstrated enhanced stability and efficient tumour-targeted delivery. <em>In vitro</em>, PS-RB-K2 significantly improved cellular uptake, reactive oxygen species generation, and apoptosis induction in B16 melanoma cells compared with free RB-K2. <em>In vivo</em>, intratumoural administration of PS-RB-K2, combined with optimised light activation, markedly suppressed tumour growth and, in some cases, reversed progression without systemic toxicity. Mechanistic analyses confirmed that polymersomal encapsulation protected RB-K2 from degradation, enhanced intratumoural retention, and mitigated self-quenching effects. Collectively, these findings establish PS-RB-K2 as a potent third-generation PDT platform with translational potential for melanoma therapy, bridging the gap between current liposomal systems and clinically viable polymersomal drug delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":101141,"journal":{"name":"RSC Pharmaceutics","volume":" 2","pages":" 449-460"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/pm/d5pm00259a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147558529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brooke E. Smith, Caleb G. Russell, Mayesha B. Mustafa and Michael D. Best
{"title":"Engineering tunable GTP/TPi-responsive liposomes through liposomal membrane modulation using a bis-triphenylphosphonium lipid switch","authors":"Brooke E. Smith, Caleb G. Russell, Mayesha B. Mustafa and Michael D. Best","doi":"10.1039/D5PM00206K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PM00206K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Liposomes are effective nanocarriers for targeted therapeutic delivery, yet challenges regarding the extent and specificity of cargo release persist. Many disease conditions result in metabolite concentration dysregulation, increasing the appeal to harness overly abundant metabolite concentrations as triggers for targeted delivery and cargo release. Here, we introduce a novel stimuli-responsive liposomal platform with a tunable response to either guanosine triphosphate (GTP) or tripolyphosphate (TPi) that was achieved through incorporation of a novel bis-phosphonium-based lipid switch (<strong>BPLS</strong>) and strategic manipulation of liposome composition. This platform enables selective cargo release triggered by GTP, a metabolite upregulated in many fast-growing cancer cells. Fine-tuning of liposome composition also allows for TPi triggered release, a model phosphate compound to illustrate the dual response of this system. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic dye release assays, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and kinetic cargo release studies confirmed metabolite-responsive membrane perturbation driven by <strong>BPLS</strong>, inciting controlled release of both polar and non-polar cargo. By fine-tuning liposome composition to control metabolite selectivity and release kinetics, this platform offers a versatile framework for addressing complex metabolite profiles in diseased cells, expanding the stimuli-responsive liposome toolbox toward the potential of customized drug delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":101141,"journal":{"name":"RSC Pharmaceutics","volume":" 1","pages":" 256-264"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/pm/d5pm00206k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146049309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bhaskar Daravath, Shasidhar Goud Pendlimadugula, Uday Kiran Kummari, Ravi Teja C and Ajay Reddy K
{"title":"QbD-driven solid dispersion development for enhanced solubility and dissolution of the BCS Class II drug voriconazole as a model drug","authors":"Bhaskar Daravath, Shasidhar Goud Pendlimadugula, Uday Kiran Kummari, Ravi Teja C and Ajay Reddy K","doi":"10.1039/D5PM00241A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PM00241A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Voriconazole (VC), a second-generation triazole antifungal, suffers from low aqueous solubility (∼0.5 mg mL<small><sup>−1</sup></small>), which restricts its oral bioavailability. The present study sought to enhance the solubility and dissolution profile of VC through solid dispersion (SD) technology, employing PEG 4000 and PEG 6000 as hydrophilic carriers. A systematic Quality by Design (QbD) framework was applied to optimize the formulation. A Central Composite Design (CCD) was implemented to evaluate the influence of PEG concentrations on solubility (<em>Y</em><small><sub>1</sub></small>) and cumulative drug release (<em>Y</em><small><sub>2</sub></small>). Phase solubility studies confirmed the formation of VC–PEG complexes exhibiting A<small><sub>L</sub></small>-type profiles. Numerical optimization, supported by graphical analysis, identified the optimized formulation consisting of 600 mg of PEG 4000 and 600 mg of PEG 6000. The optimized solid dispersion showed a marked improvement in solubility (30.68 mg mL<small><sup>−1</sup></small>) and drug release (cumulative drug release = 89.88%), achieving a desirability score of 0.901, thereby validating the robustness of the QbD-based optimization strategy. Model validation confirmed excellent predictive performance (adjusted <em>R</em><small><sup>2</sup></small> and predicted <em>R</em><small><sup>2</sup></small> within acceptable limits). Solid-state characterization (FTIR, DSC, XRD and SEM) indicated complete amorphization and uniform molecular dispersion of VC. Stability studies over six months confirmed the stability of the formulation (<em>f</em><small><sub>2</sub></small> = 78.27). PEG-based solid dispersions offer a promising and stable approach to improve the solubility and dissolution of poorly water-soluble antifungal agents such as voriconazole.</p>","PeriodicalId":101141,"journal":{"name":"RSC Pharmaceutics","volume":" 2","pages":" 477-489"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/pm/d5pm00241a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147558531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Soumen Samanta, Kazi Asraf Ali, Manas Bhowmik, Samir Das and Dipika Mandal
{"title":"Controlled release of Ketoprofen via PLGA nanoparticles: an in vitro study for rheumatoid arthritis therapy","authors":"Soumen Samanta, Kazi Asraf Ali, Manas Bhowmik, Samir Das and Dipika Mandal","doi":"10.1039/D5PM00196J","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PM00196J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Ketoprofen (KN) is one of the most commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Low aqueous solubility and adverse gastrointestinal effects following oral dosing are the main challenges. Biodegradable polymers like PLGA (poly-(lactic-<em>co</em>-glycolic acid)) were utilized to develop nanoparticles for the controlled delivery of ketoprofen. Ketoprofen-loaded PLGA nanoparticles were made using the double emulsion solvent evaporation technique. We utilized Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to determine the drug–excipient interactions. Particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation effectiveness, and drug-release patterns were also assessed for the produced nanoparticles. The nanoparticles exhibited average size ranges of 380–396 nm with negative zeta potentials, ensuring suspension stability. The encapsulation efficiency of formulation 3 (KN3) was observed to be over 95%, indicating effective drug loading. In vitro studies demonstrated a prolonged release of ketoprofen over a 120-hour period from the ketoprofen-loaded nanoparticles. The findings suggest that ketoprofen-loaded polymeric nanoparticles may serve as a viable method for tackling the associated challenges of conventional ketoprofen therapy. This study aimed to develop and characterize polymeric nanoparticles as an innovative drug delivery system for ketoprofen to achieve sustained drug release.</p>","PeriodicalId":101141,"journal":{"name":"RSC Pharmaceutics","volume":" 3","pages":" 682-693"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/pm/d5pm00196j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148011767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shivakumar H. Nanjappa, Vanita Somasekhar, Megha Kamath, Sanjana S. Prakash, Avichal Kumar, Raksha Pai and Rushikesh Shinde
{"title":"Formulation and evaluation of isosorbide dinitrate-loaded flash-release dispersible sublingual wafers","authors":"Shivakumar H. Nanjappa, Vanita Somasekhar, Megha Kamath, Sanjana S. Prakash, Avichal Kumar, Raksha Pai and Rushikesh Shinde","doi":"10.1039/D5PM00274E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PM00274E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study aimed to design flash-release dispersible sublingual wafers of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) by lyophilisation (LYO) by applying the principles of Quality by Design (QbD). Sublingual wafers and films were developed by LYO and solvent casting (SC) techniques, respectively, <em>via</em> a 2<small><sup>3</sup></small> factorial design using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E15 as polymer and propylene glycol as plasticizer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the porous nature of these wafers with sub-micron-sized pores, while atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicated their homogeneous surface with minimal irregularities (<3.5 nm). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy proved the chemical integrity of ISDN in the polymer matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) conclusively indicated amorphisation of ISDN in the hydrophilic polymeric matrix in the wafers. Structural analysis was performed with a surface area and pore size analyser using liquid nitrogen as adsorbent and revealed that the wafers displayed significantly higher (<em>p</em> < 0.05) specific surface area (13.428 m<small><sup>2</sup></small> g<small><sup>−1</sup></small>) and pore volume (∼0.013 cc g<small><sup>−1</sup></small>) values compared to the films. Density analysis by the gravimetric method further indicated that the density of the films (1.44 ± 0.23 g cm<small><sup>−3</sup></small>) was found to be significantly higher (<em>p</em> < 0.04) than that of the wafers (0.633 ± 0.012 g cm<small><sup>−3</sup></small>), confirming the denser microstructure of films and the porous nature of wafers. Wafers developed by optimising the LYO process displayed significantly shorter (<em>p</em> < 0.0001) disintegration time (3.1 ± 0.5 s) and time taken for 80% drug release (46 ± 0.2 s), compared to films produced by the SC technique. ISDN sublingual wafers exhibited a transmucosal flux that was comparable (<em>p</em> > 0.05) to that from the drug solution, indicating the potential to elicit a quick onset. The sublingual wafers that were found to rapidly disperse and quickly dissolve are likely to evade first-pass metabolism and elicit a prompt onset. The studies indicate that the developed sublingual wafers will be a promising platform for prophylactic management of cardiac emergencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":101141,"journal":{"name":"RSC Pharmaceutics","volume":" 2","pages":" 461-476"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/pm/d5pm00274e?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147558530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}