The Effects of Particle Properties on Nanoparticle Drug Retention and Release in Dynamic Minoxidil Foams

This study investigated the effects of particle properties on nanoparticle drug retention and release in dynamic minoxidil foams. The researchers found that lipid nanoparticles had a higher loading capacity compared to polymer nanoparticles at the same drug input concentration. Both types of nanoparticles demonstrated biphasic drug release, with a first stage of relatively fast drug release followed by a second phase of slow release. The study suggests that preventing premature release of hydrophilic drugs in aqueous formulations is difficult, regardless of nanoparticle properties. The study highlights the need to characterize drug release from a topical formulation containing particulates prior to application, and demonstrates that effective drug loading into nanoparticles does not always translate into effective delivery.