Polymer-lipid hybrid systems: merging the benefits of polymeric and lipid-based nanocarriers to improve oral drug delivery

Introduction: A number of biobarriers limit efficient oral drug absorption; both polymer-based and lipid-based nanocarriers have demonstrated properties and delivery mechanisms to overcome these biobarriers in preclinical settings. Moreover, in order to address the multifaceted oral drug delivery challenges, polymer-lipid hybrid systems are now being designed to merge the beneficial features of both polymeric and lipid-based nanocarriers.Areas covered: Recent advances in the development of polymer-lipid hybrids with a specific focus on their viability in oral delivery are reviewed. Three classes of polymer-lipid hybrids have been identified, i.e. lipid-core polymer-shell systems, polymer-core lipid-shell systems, and matrix-type polymer-lipid hybrids. We focus on their application to overcome the various biological barriers to oral drug absorption, as exemplified by selected preclinical studies.Expert opinion: Numerous studies have demonstrated the superiority of polymer-lipid hybrid systems to their non-hybrid counterparts in providing improved drug encapsulation, modulated drug release, and improved cellular uptake. These features have encouraged their applications in the delivery of chemotherapeutics, proteins, peptides, and vaccines. With further research expected to optimize the manufacturing and scaling up processes and in-depth pre-clinical pharmacological and toxicological assessments, these multifaceted drug delivery systems will have significant clinical impact on the oral delivery of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals.