Pharmaceutical nanotechnology research in Egypt: prospects in treatment of liver diseases, patenting, and regulatory implications

Abstract Background The application of nanotechnology in the biomedical field has greatly expanded in the last decade, as delineated by the large number of publications by several researchers. Particularly for liver diseases which are prevalent in Egypt, published research has delineated that nanotechnology-based products were able to enhance the therapeutic efficacy and safety of drugs, by modulating their distribution and pharmacokinetic properties, protecting them from degradation, reducing their renal clearance and elimination, enhancing liver specific uptake and targeting, and overcoming mechanisms of drug resistance. However, surveying the granted patents in this regard displayed the limited number of patents, concurring with limited availability of nanotechnology-based products in the market. Areas covered This review article firstly details the research conducted in Egypt for treatment of prevalent liver diseases using nanotechnology-based products, then details the granted patents in Egypt and internationally in this regard, followed by an overview on the existing safety and regulatory implications, and recommendations for their improvement, in order to increase the number of commercially available products in the market.