Chinmaya Keshari Sahoo, Prakash Kumar Nayak, Deepak Kumar Sarangi, Tanmaya Keshari Sahoo
The human vagina represents a potential, accessible space that offers a valuable route for drug delivery through the use of specifically designed carrier systems for both local and systemic applications. Intra-vaginal drug delivery is particularly appropriate for drugs associated with women's health issues but may also have applications in general drug delivery within the female population. Vagina is one of the best routes for drugs administration like contraceptive steroids, metronidazole, anti-retroviral, etc. An intra-vaginal controlled-release drug delivery system is an effective means for achieving a continuous delivery of therapeutic agents, not only the systemically active drugs, such as contraceptive steroids, but also the locally active drugs, such as metronidazole and other drugs like Zidovudine, Lamivudine, etc. This continuous “infusion” of drugs through the vaginal mucosa can prevent the possibility of hepato-gastrointestinal first-pass metabolism gastric irritation of drugs and fluctuation of dosing interval. The advantage of intra-vaginal controlled drug administration over conventional/traditional oral administration is the drug absorbed systemically, because due to the presence of dense network of blood vessels in vaginal wall. A range of drug delivery platforms suitable for intra-vaginal administration are hydro-gels, vaginal tablets, pessaries/suppositories, particulate systems
