Abstract

Nanotechnology could be strategically implemented in new developing drug delivery systems that can expand drug markets. Such a plan would be applied to drugs selected for full-scale development based on their safety and efficacy data, but which fail to reach clinical development because of poor biopharmacological properties, for example, poor solubility or poor permeability across the intestinal epithelium, situations that translate into poor bioavailability and undesirable pharmacokinetic properties. The new drug delivery methods are expected to enable pharmaceutical companies to reformulate existing drugs on the market, thereby extending the lifetime of products and enhancing the performance of drugs by increasing effectiveness, safety and patient adherence, and ultimately reducing healthcare costs.