Self microemulsifying drug delivery system as a potential drug delivery system for protease inhibitors in the treatment of AIDS.

The HIV/AIDS a pandemic disease, affects adversely to health as well as socioeconomic status of human beings. The use of protease inhibitors has improved the quality of life and expectancy of infected individuals when used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs, but the current drug therapy with protease inhibitors lacks suitable dosage forms and dosage regimens. As the protease inhibitors exhibit low/pH dependent water solubility or incomplete absorption from gastrointestinal (GI) tract, lipid based delivery system can be a promising solution for them. Additionally, ground work is also being carried out in the field of self micro emulsifying drug delivery systems for developing preventative solutions for HIV transmission. This manuscript reviews recent advances in the field of microemulsion based systems for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS. Particular attention is given to the usefulness of self microemulsifying drug delivery systems for protease inhibitors so as to target to HIV reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]