PREPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND OPTIMIZATION OF MEBENDAZOLE SPHERICAL AGGLOMERATES USING MODIFIED EVAPORATIVE PRECIPITATION IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION (EPAS)

Objective: Mebendazole is a popular benzimidazole class anthelmintic drug useful in the treatment of main infections of threadworms as well as other less common worm infections like whipworm, roundworm, and hookworm in adults and children over 2 y of age. It is poorly soluble in water resulting in poor absorption from the intestinal tract leading to a decrease in bioavailability. Moreover, Mebendazole has poor flowability due to the needle-shaped crystals. This work was carried out with the aim of increasing the flowability and solubility of Mebendazole. Methods: A 32 full factorial design was used to investigate the effect of the concentration of Mebendazole and the quantity of water as an external phase using evaporative precipitation into an aqueous solution. The prepared agglomerates were characterized for particle size distribution, shape, Hausner ratio, Carr’s index and % dissolved in 60 min (C60).   Results: The prepared agglomerates were found to be monodispersed. They also showed a decrease in the Hausner ration and Carr’s index, indicating improved flowability. Increase in C60 indicated that the agglomerates were found to have increased water solubility. Conclusion: Scanning Electron Microscopy showed that the agglomerates were spherical in shape. Fourier Transformed Infra-Red studies showed no chemical change in the prepared spherical agglomerates. Differential Scanning Calorimetry and X-ray diffraction studies showed an increase in amorphous characteristics of prepared spherical agglomerates. This method may be used for drugs with similar characteristics as Mebendazole

Polysaccharide-based nanogels and ocular drug delivery: The emerging nanocarrier for crossing blood retinal barrier

The present era demands the development of drug delivery systems that can target therapeutic agents to the site of action with minimal concentration, thereby avoiding unwanted side effects. One of the major obstacles to achieving this objective is the blood-retinal barrier (BRB), which restricts the availability of drugs to the posterior segment of the eye. Traditional methods of drug delivery, such as eye injections and topical application, suffer from low bioavailability and the need for frequent dosing. Nanogels (NGs), a novel drug delivery system, offer a promising solution to this challenge. NGs are comprised of drug particles in the nanometer range and high-viscosity polymer networks, which increases the contact time and facilitates the easy crossing of the BRB. These formulations are easy to prepare, sterilize, and use, and can maintain a desired drug level through initial bursting followed by slow release over time. This narrative review focuses on the growing role of various NGs, including chitosan, chitin, hyaluronan, hyaluronic acid, lysine-carbonized, 2-hydroxypropyl gamma-cyclodextrin, and methylcellulose and poly(N-ter-butylacrylamide) based NGs, in the efficient and safe delivery of drugs to the posterior ocular region by crossing the BRB and avoiding cytotoxicity and immunogenicity

Insights from clinical trials: New evidence supports surgical interventions over drug therapies for atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the world’s most prevalent cardiac arrhythmias. It poses a heavy burden on patients, physicians and the global healthcare system as it is one of the top leading causes of cardiovascular death. Researchers have spent numerous years conducting clinical trials to investigate the effectiveness, cost and practicality of treatment for patients suffering from AF. The primary treatment strategy for AF (acute, chronic, persistent, paroxysmal, non-valvular, nonrheumatic, and rapid) involves the use of antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) and anticoagulant drugs (ACD) to manage heart rate and rhythm, as well as to prevent strokes. This review aims to discuss clinical trials that compared AADs (class Ia: quinidine; class Ic: flecainide, propafenone; class III: sotalol, amiodarone) and ACDs (vitamin K antagonist: warfarin; factor Xa inhibitor: apixaban, rivaroxaban; thrombin inhibitor: dabigatran) with cardiovascular surgical interventions (i.e., catheter ablation, cryoballoon ablation, ablation and DDDR pacemaker, electrical cardioversion, and left atrial appendage occlusion) to treat various types of AF in patients with a diverse history of cardiovascular diseases and medical history. This study provides a review of clinical trials on this topic and enables healthcare professionals to determine the best-suited treatment for their patients

Comparing monopharmacotherapy of antiarrhythmic and anticoagulant drugs with other drugs for atrial fibrillation: A complete review of clinical trials

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a life-changing and life-threatening cardiac electropathological condition, especially in patients with prior history of cardiovascular diseases. This multifaceted condition is one of the top 5 leading causes of cardiovascular death with a rapidly increasing prevalence and death rate. From inception till now, numerous clinical trials have been conducted to explore novel therapeutic targets and strategies along with pre-existing treatments for patients suffering from atrial fibrillation. The pharmacotherapy approach to treat AF (acute, chronic, persistent, paroxysmal, non-valvular, nonrheumatic, and rapid) comprises mainly antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) and anticoagulant drugs (ACD) for rate and rhythm control along with the prevention of strokes. This narrative review aims to discuss monotherapeutic clinical trials that compared AADs (class II: carvedilol and xamoterol; class III: amiodarone; class IV: verapamil, diltiazem, and nifedipine) and ACDs (vitamin K antagonist: warfarin; factor Xa inhibitor: apixaban; factor IIa and Xa inhibitor: heparin) with cardiac glycoside (digoxin), angiotensin II receptor antagonist (telmisartan), platelet inhibitor (indobufen), anti-convulsant (magnesium sulfate), anti-inflammatory (aspirin), and antipyretic drugs (aspirin) to treat various types of AF in patients with a diverse history of cardiovascular diseases. This study provides a review of all clinical trials on this topic and provides a comparative chart for healthcare professionals to determine the best-suited treatment for their patients