Progressive development in experimental models of transungual drug delivery of anti-fungal agents.

ABSTRACT

Pre-clinical development comprises of different procedures that relate drug discovery in the laboratory for commencement of human clinical trials. Pre-clinical studies can be designed to recognize a lead candidate from a list to develop the procedure for scale-up, to choose the unsurpassed formulation, to determine the frequency, and duration of exposure; and eventually make the foundation of the anticipated clinical trial design. The foremost aim in the pharmaceutical research and industry is the claim of drug product quality throughout a drug's life cycle. The particulars of the pre-clinical development process for different candidates may vary; however, all have some common features. Typically in vitro, in vivo or ex vivo studies are elements of pre-clinical studies. Human pharmacokinetic in vivo studies are often supposed to serve as the 'gold standard' to assess product performance. On the other hand, when this general assumption is revisited, it appears that in vitro studies are occasionally better than in vivo studies in assessing dosage forms. The present review is compendious of different such models or approaches that can be used for designing and evaluation of formulations for nail delivery with special reference to anti-fungal agents.