Emerging protein delivery methods

The efficient and safe delivery of therapeutic proteins is the key to comme rcial success and, in some cases, the demonstration of efficacy in current and future biotechnology products. Numerous delivery technologies and compa nies have evolved over the past year. To critically evaluate the available options, each method must be assessed in terms of how easily it can be manu factured, impact on protein quality, bioavailability, and toxicity. Recent advances in depot delivery systems have, for the most part, overcome all of these obstacles except for complex and costly manufacturing. On the other hand, pulmonary delivery usually involves efficient manufacturing, but low protein bioavailability resulting in higher doses compared with injections. Although recent advances in transdermal and oral delivery have been signif icant, both of these delivery routes require logarithmic increases in bioav ailability to make them viable candidates for commercialization. In the nex t few years, protein delivery for commercial products will probably be limi ted to injection devices, depot systems and pulmonary administration.