ABSTRACT
Liposomes are widely used class of nanocarriers for the delivery of therapeutic agent at required site(s) and have the capability of entrapping compounds of both natures, i.e. hydrophilic and lipophilic agents, thereby facilitating the encapsulation of various drugs through these vesicles. Liposomes were the first drugs on a nanoscale approved clinically in 1995. The technology has since evolved considerably, and recent groundbreaking research in liposome-based delivery systems has led to remarkable advances with important clinical implications. This chapter includes the various types of liposomes and their method of preparation, liposome encapsulation technology, industrial-scale production of liposomes, liposomal techniques for delivery of drugs, biological defies faced by liposomes, clinically used liposomal drugs, defies for continuous manufacturing of liposomes along with well-documented regulatory landscape on the marketing of higher-level complexity systems, anticipated criteria and obstacles faced by companies trying to introduce new liposome-based systems to the market for clinical use.
