Recently, the electrospinning (ES) process has been extensively studied due to its potential applications in various fields, particularly pharmaceutical and biomedical purposes. The production rate using typical ES technology is usually around 0.01–1 g/h, which is lower than pharmaceutical industry production requirements. Therefore, different companies have worked to develop electrospinning equipment, technological solutions, and electrospun materials into large-scale production. Different approaches have been explored to scale-up the production mainly by increasing the nanofiber jet through multiple needles, free-surface technologies, and hybrid methods that use an additional energy source. Among them, needleless and centrifugal methods have gained the most attention and applications. Besides, the production rate reached (450 g/h in some cases) makes these methods feasible in the pharmaceutical industry. The present study overviews and compares the most recent ES approaches successfully developed for nanofibers’ large-scale production and accompanying challenges with some examples of applied approaches in drug delivery systems. Besides, various types of commercial products and devices released to the markets have been mentioned.

The aims of this systematic review are to explore the possibilities of using the positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) method in the pharmaceutical industry and to examine the application of PALS as a supportive, predictive method during the research process. In addition, the review aims to provide a comprehensive picture of additional medical and pharmaceutical uses, as the application of the PALS test method is limited and not widely known in this sector. We collected the scientific literature of the last 20 years (2002–2022) from several databases (PubMed, Embase, SciFinder-n, and Google Scholar) and evaluated the data gathered in relation to the combination of three directives, namely, the utilization of the PALS method, the testing of solid systems, and their application in the medical and pharmaceutical fields. The application of the PALS method is discussed based on three large groups: substances, drug delivery systems, and medical devices, starting with simpler systems and moving to more complex ones. The results are discussed based on the functionality of the PALS method, via microstructural analysis, the tracking of ageing and microstructural changes during stability testing, the examination of the effects of excipients and external factors, and defect characterization, with a strong emphasis on the benefits of this technique. The review highlights the wide range of possible applications of the PALS method as a non-invasive analytical tool for examining microstructures and monitoring changes; it can be effectively applied in many fields, alone or with complementary testing methods.

The vertical diffusion cell is an in vitro laboratory device for the study of drug release and permeation of semi-solid topical formulations and topical patches. Both static and dynamic versions of the diffusion cell are used in practice, the operation of which can be automated. The device is available at a reasonable cost for smaller, mainly transdermal patches, the amount of sampling fluid is replenished at the same time as the sample, in the same amount as the amount sampled without automation of the system, and simultaneous replenishment of acceptor fluid by hydrostatic pressure helps keeping the acceptor chamber bubble-free.

Glioblastoma (GB) is one of the most challenging central nervous system (CNS) tumors in treatment options and response, urging the development of novel management strategies. The anti-alcoholism dr...

Electrohydrodynamic methods, including electrospinning and electrospraying, have several advantages considering both technological aspects and the micro- and nanosize products. During electrospinning, also called electrostatic fiber formation, fibers are created by electrostatic forces, while in the case of electrospraying, fine particles can be generated via the atomization of solutions by electrostatic forces. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview and a comparison of the physical background of the two processes and the operational parameters affecting product quality. In addition, a particular focus is done on the challenges regarding their pharmaceutical industrial applicability. The conclusion drawn from the extensive literature review highlights that the appearance of electrospun and electrosprayed products in medicines is already imminent. Furthermore, they can open up new avenues in product development in several critical cases.

Pharmaceutical compounding enables the preparation of unlicensed medicine to meet specific patient needs that do not have a licensed medicine available on the market. It must be performed in the best possible circumstance by certified pharmacists using validated standard operating procedures to obtain the highest quality medicinal product. The various spinning techniques provide drug delivery systems easily adapted to individual patient’s needs among the emerging technologies. The primary purpose of the present work was to introduce the prototype of a contact drawing device for the compounding of drug delivery systems for individual in-patient needs. The preliminary experiments resulted in oriented fibers of micrometer diameter range. The device can be placed in controlled conditions and could provide drug-loaded fibrous sheets for further treatments assuring the individual patient’s medicine need of the required quality.