ABSTRACT
In the last few decades liposomes have been developed for pharmaceutical applications in very different directions, from drug-delivery systems (DDS) to diagnostic tools, vaccine adjuvants, artificial blood, gene therapy vehicles, etc. However, the approval and use of a few drugs formulated in liposomes were introduced in the last decade. The scientific literature is rich with comprehensive reviews of liposomes as DDS (1-16). Each review presents a unique and specific point of view, which can range from the strictly physicochemical, through various biological levels, to the clinical. Furthermore, the prospect of liposomes as pharmaceutical products is inherent in these reviews even when not specifically identified and addressed. Given this background, it was deemed essential to first address a question that might be raised by the reader: ‘‘Why yet another manuscript on liposomes as pharmaceutical products?’’
