Eur J Pharm Sci. 2024 Sep 16:106911. doi: 10.1016/j.ejps.2024.106911.Online ahead of print.

Sophia V Hoffmann ¹, Joseph P O'Shea ¹, Paul Galvin ², Vincent Jannin ³, Brendan T Griffin ⁴

Author information

¹School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, College Road, Cork, Ireland.

²Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, T12R5CP Cork, Ireland.

³Capsugel France SAS, 68000 Colmar, France.

⁴School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, College Road, Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: brendan.griffin@ucc.ie.

Abstract

An emerging concern globally, particularly in developed countries, is the rising prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs), such as Crohn's disease. Oral delivery technologies that can release the active therapeutic cargo specifically at selected sites of inflammation offer great promise to maximise treatment outcomes and minimise off-target effects. Therapeutic strategies for IBD have expanded in recent years, with an increasing focus on biologic and nucleic acid-based therapies. Reliable site-specific delivery in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is particularly crucial for these therapeutics to ensure sufficient concentrations in the targeted cells. Ingestible smart capsules hold great potential for precise drug delivery. Despite previous unsuccessful endeavours to commercialise drug delivery smart capsules, the current rise in demand and recent advancements in component development, manufacturing, and miniaturisation have reignited interest in ingestible devices. Consequently, this review analyses the advancements in various mechanical and electrical components associated with ingestible smart drug delivery capsules. These components include modules for device localisation, actuation and retention within the GI tract, signal transmission, drug release, power supply, and payload storage. Challenges and constraints associated with previous capsule design functionality are presented, followed by a critical outlook on future design considerations to ensure efficient and reliable site-specific delivery for the local treatment of GI disorders.