Liposomes as drug carriers: a technological approach.

Liposome researchers have created a hugh variety of liposomal drug carriers in the past thirty years mainly by small-scale laboratory techniques using more or less well defined raw materials. Only a few of these liposomal preparations have made their way to approved drugs for clinical use in humans so far. The review gives a critical literature survey over key technologies, which are used to evaluate an appropriate lipid formula and to prepare, size, load and sterilise liposomes. It also deals with quality and shelf stability aspects of liposomal drug carriers.