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Abstract
Oral mucosal drug delivery is an alternative method of systemic drug delivery that
offers several advantages over both injectable and enteral methods and also enhances
drug bioavailability because the mucosal surfaces are usually rich in blood supply,
providing the means for rapid drug transport to the systemic circulation and avoiding,
in most cases, degradation by first-pass hepatic metabolism. The systems contact with
the absorption surface resulting in a better absorption, and also prolong residence
time at the site of application to permit once or twice daily dosing. For some drugs,
this results in rapid onset of action via a more comfortable and convenient delivery
route than the intravenous route. Not all drugs, however, can be administered through
the oral mucosa because of the characteristics of the oral mucosa and the physicochemical
properties of the drug. Although many drugs have been evaluated for oral transmucosal
delivery, few are commercially available. The clinical need for oral transmucosal
delivery of a drug must be high enough to offset the high costs associated with developing
this type of product. Transmucosal products are a relatively new drug delivery strategy.
Transmucosal drug delivery promises four times the absorption rate of skin. Drugs
considered for oral transmucosal delivery are limited to existing products, and until
there is a change in the selection and development process for new drugs, candidates
for oral transmucosal delivery will be limited. The present papers intend to overview
a wide range of orotransmucosal routes being potentially useful for transmucosal drug
delivery and remind us of the success achieved with these systems and the latest advancement
in the field.