HYDROGEL NEW TREND IN DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM: REVIEW

Sonali B. Deokate*, Ganesh V. Devkate, Sandeep S. Tate, Atul S Bhujbal, Avinash P. Tupe, Hrishikesh A. Joshi and Dr. Rajendra N. Patil

ABSTRACT

From the past few decades, the pharmaceutical industry has knowledgeable impressive growth year after year. Constant introduction of life-saving drugs has propelled this growth. Controlled-release technologies allow for effective use of existing drugs and successful development of new drug candidates. Developing new drug delivery technologies and utilizing them in product development is critical for pharmaceutical companies to survive. Hydrogels are three-dimensional hydrated network formed by crosslinking polymers through either covalent bonds or noncovalent bond interactions. The high water content of hydrogels renders them biocompatible to living systems and their soft nature can minimize damages to the surrounding tissues. Due to these reasons, hydrogels have received significant attentions in recent years for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Keywords: Hydrogels, crosslinking polymers, biomedical applications, drug delivery.