Electrospun Fibres in Drug Delivery

Electrospinning is a process which exploits electrical energy to generate solid products in the form of nanoscale fibers from a solution. Typically, a solution of a polymer in a volatile solvent is ejected from a syringe towards a collector, with a high potential difference applied between the two. Including a drug in the solution results in drug-loaded materials which have significant potential in drug delivery. Because the solidification process is very rapid (< 1s), the random arrangement of molecules in solution is usually propagated into the solid state, resulting in amorphous solid dispersions. These are potentially very powerful in improving the solubility and dissolution characteristics of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Since heat is not used in the solidification process, easily-degraded active ingredients such as proteins can easily be processed. Further, it is possible to move beyond processing a single liquid to work with multiple liquids, and/or to use blends of polymers, to develop systems giving a wide range of drug release profiles. This presentation will showcase some recent results in the production of drug-loaded formulations by electrospinning, giving examples of the range of drug delivery patterns which can be achieved and the range of active ingredients which can be processed. It will further consider patient perceptions and the translation from lab to clinic.