**4. Drug delivery systems loaded with verteporfin**

Verteporfin (**Figure 5**) is a lipophilic benzoporphyrin derivative synthesized from protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester. It shares several beneficial properties of a photosensitizer: chemical stability, efficient generation of singlet oxygen species, strong absorption of red light at 692 nm, and diminished skin photosensitivity, due to faster body extravasation [43].
