Pharmacosomes: A new class of drug carrier delivery: A review

Abstract

Pharmacosomes are ampipathic lipid vesicular systems that are of very great importance because they are known to improve the bio- availability of lipid insoluble drugs. They are the colloidal dispersions of drugs which are covalently bounded to lipids, and exist as ultrafine vesicular, micellar, or hexagonal aggregates, depending on the chemical structure of drug-lipid complex. Because the system is formed by linking a drug (pharmakon) and carrier (soma) hence they are called pharmacosomes. The pharmacosomes show greater stability, facilitated transport across the biological membrane and a controlled release. Pharmacosomes have been prepared containing various non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, proteins, cardiovascular and antineoplastic drugs. Development of pharmacosomes containing different drugs has been found to improve the absorption and minimize the gastrointestinal toxicity. Pharmacosomes are like the solution for all most all the problems which are related with liposomes, niosomes, transferosomes and so forth. They may serve as efficient tool to achieve desired therapeutic action by drug targeting and controlled release.