Non Biological Based Nanomedicines

**47**

**Chapter 4**

**Abstract**

Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery

*Khaled AboulFotouh, Ayat A. Allam and Mahmoud El-Badry*

Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) have been mainly investigated to enhance the oral bioavailability of drugs belonging to class II of the Biopharmaceutics Classification System. However, in the past few years, they have shown promising outcomes in the oral delivery of various types of therapeutic agents. In this chapter, we discuss the recent progress in the application of SEDDS for oral delivery of protein therapeutics and genetic materials. The role of SEDDS in enhancing the oral bioavailability of P-glycoprotein and cytochrome P450 3A4 substrate drugs is also highlighted. Also, we discuss the most critical evaluation criteria of SEDDS. Additionally, we summarize various solidification techniques employed to transform liquid SEDDS to the more stable solid self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (s-SEDDS) that are associated with high patient compliance. This chapter provides a comprehensive approach to develop high utility SEDDS and their

**Keywords:** solid self-emulsifying drug delivery systems, solidification techniques,

Lipid-based drug delivery systems (LBDDs) have been intensively investigated to overcome various obstacles encountered in oral drug delivery including poor aqueous solubility, limited permeability, low therapeutic window, first pass metabolism as well as inter- and intraindividual variability in drug response [1]. Lipid-based nanoparticles can achieve high loading capacity of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs [2]. The delivery features of these drug delivery systems could be tailored to achieve either immediate or sustained release properties depending on the appropriate selection of lipid composition. Most of lipids employed in the formulation are generally recognized as safe (GRAS), biocompatible and biodegradable [3]. LBDDs can enhance both transcellular and paracellular transport of drugs by transient disruption of lipid bilayer cells and alteration of tight junction by products of lipid digestion, respectively. Interestingly, they could permeate challenging physiological barriers such as blood brain barrier without surface

oral delivery, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), multidrug resistance (MDR), protein therapeutics, plasmid DNA (pDNA)

Systems: Easy to Prepare

Efficient Oral Delivery

further transformation into s-SEDDS.

**1. Introduction**

Multifunctional Vectors for
