Peptides, proteins and antibodies

Peptide and protein therapeutics are increasingly able to address a growing range of clinical pathologies and their high specificity and potency combined with low toxicity of metabolic products and minimal potential for drug–drug interactions makes them attractive candidates for clinical development. The pharmaceutical industry is today more in need of delivery technologies that are able to stabilise and effectively deliver therapeutic peptides and proteins across physiological barriers and particularly via non-parenteral routes. Nanoparticulate delivery has the potential to stabilise peptide and protein therapeutics from physical and enzymatic degradation, reduce clearance via the kidneys, prolong plasma half-lives and even target these molecules to the tissue of interest. Nanoparticulate technologies have enabled the delivery of peptide therapeutics via the oral, nasal and pulmonary route and numerous preclinical nano-delivery systems such as polymeric nanoparticles, lipidic nanoparticles and drug–polymer conjugates have been investigated for the delivery of protein therapeutics. In this chapter, a description of these delivery systems and their applications will be discussed.