IMPLANTATIONS: REVOLUTIONIZING DRUG DELIVERY FOR IMPROVED PATIENT OUTCOMES

The oral route of administration is the most popular and convenient route of drug delivery. However, despite its advantages, it also has limitations. There are many drugs that are not suitable for oral route of administration due to their first pass metabolism, ideal characteristics and adverse effects of the treatment. Moreover, the effectiveness of oral delivery depends significantly on patient adherence. Implantable drug delivery devices (IDDS) are an alternative system that can achieve effective delivery of drug with appropriate concentrations. As a result, it reduces the systemic side-effects, has numerous advantages over the other conventional drug delivery systems, enhanced pharmacokinetics and patient compliances. This article reviews the classification of Implantable drug delivery devices, the mechanism of drug release, their merits and demerits, the materials used for manufacturing the implants such as various polymers, the various methods of manufacture, and the various examples of current therapeutic applications of implantable drug delivery system such as oncology, pain management, diabetes, and central nervous system conditions, along with challenges concerning biocompatibility and device durability.