Drug delivery by lipid cochleates.

Drug delivery technology has brought additional benefits to pharmaceuticals such as reduction in dosing frequency and side effects, as well as the extension of patient life. To address this need, cochleates, a precipitate obtained as a result of the interaction between phosphatidylserine and calcium, have been developed and proved to have potential in encapsulating and delivering small molecule drugs. This chapter discusses the molecules that can be encapsulated in a cochleate system and describes in detail the methodology that can be used to encapsulate and characterize hydrophobic drugs such as amphotericin B, a potent antifungal agent. Some efficacy data in animal models infected with candidiasis or aspergillosis are described as well.