Montelukast medicines of today and tomorrow: from molecular pharmaceutics to technological formulations

abstract

Montelukast sodium is a leukotriene antagonist of growing interest as an alternative therapy for asthma across different age groups due to its bronchoprotective, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. Currently, montelukast is commercialized only in oral solid dosage forms, which are the favorite of adult patients but may pose challenges in administration to children of young age or patients suffering from dysphagia. This review presents a comprehensive revision of scientific reports and patents on emerging strategies for the delivery of montelukast. A common ground to these reports is the pursue of an enhanced montelukast performance, by increasing its bioavailability and physico-chemical stability. A wide variety of strategies can be found, from the formation of supramolecular adducts with cyclodextrins to encapsulation in nanoparticles and liposomes. The new dosage forms for montelukast are designed for non-enteric absorption, some for absorption in the oral cavity and another two being for local action in the nasal mucosa or in the pulmonary epithelium. The review describes the emerging delivery strategies to circumvent the current limitations to the use of montelukast that are expected to ultimately lead to the development of more patient-compliant dosage forms.

keywords

LIPID NANOPARTICLES SLN; EXERCISE-INDUCED BRONCHOCONSTRICTION; LEUKOTRIENE-RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST; DRUG-DELIVERY; CHITOSAN NANOPARTICLES; CARRIERS NLC; DOUBLE-BLIND; IN-VITRO; ASTHMA; SODIUM

subject category

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

authors

Barbosa, JS; Paz, FAA; Braga, SS

our authors

acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal), European Union, QREN, European Fund for Regional Development (FEDER), through the program COMPETE, for general funding to the QOPNA research unit (FCT UID/QUI/00062/2013) and CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 (FCT Ref. UID/CTM/50011/2013), financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when appropriate cofinanced by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement.

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