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\n Steven Gibney
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Science Writer<\/p>\n
Technology Networks<\/p>\n
\n Steven has a BSc in Pharmacology and a Masters in Bioscience from the University of Leeds, as well as a Ph.D. in Pharmacy from the University of Nottingham. After finishing his Ph.D. he spent two years working at an agency as a medical writer. Wanting to further develop his communication skills he joined Technology Networks as a science writer in 2023. In his current role, he is responsible for creating custom written content and also contributes to the development of digital content.
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Credit: Technology Networks.<\/p>\n
Drug delivery has undergone a remarkable transformation from basic oral tablets to sophisticated, targeted systems that deliver treatments with unprecedented precision. Today’s pharmaceutical landscape demands innovative approaches that can navigate complex biological barriers, preserve fragile therapeutic molecules, and release medications exactly when and where patients need them most.<\/p>\n
This infographic explores the latest drug delivery strategies that can overcome these challenges\u2014from nanotechnology and smart release systems to advanced administration methods that improve patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes.<\/p>\n
Download this infographic to learn about:<\/p>\n
Advanced delivery technologies that enable precision targeting across different diseasesInnovative administration methods that make treatments less invasive and more patient friendlyControlled release strategies that maximize therapeutic benefit while minimizing side effects across multiple disease areas<\/p>\n
\n THE JOURNEY OF
\nDrug Delivery
\nInnovation
\nDrug delivery has evolved from simple oral tablets to sophisticated systems that
\ntarget specific cells and release medications precisely when and where they are
\nneeded most. The earliest delivery methods focused on getting drugs into the
\nbody, then controlling how long they stayed active; now the latest technologies
\nprovide unprecedented therapeutic precision. This infographic explores the cuttingedge strategies and technologies driving modern drug delivery, from advanced
\nadministration methods to nanotechnology.
\nBy Steven Gibney, PhD | Designed by Ashleigh Campsall
\nDelivering therapeutics
\nacross diseases
\nThese advanced delivery technologies are transforming
\ntreatment across multiple therapeutic areas.
\nThese fundamental differences have driven the development of
\nadvanced drug delivery methods.
\nCANCER
\nTargeted nanoparticles
\nand ADCs deliver
\nchemotherapy directly
\nto tumors while reducing
\nside effects.
\nDIABETES
\nSmart insulin delivery
\nsystems respond to glucose
\nlevels in real time.
\nREFERENCES
\n1. Aldawood FK, Andar A, Desai S. A Comprehensive
\nReview of Microneedles: Types, Materials, Processes,
\nCharacterizations and Applications. Polymers.
\n2021;13(16):2815. doi: 10.3390\/polym13162815
\n2. Chan AHY, Pleasants RA, Dhand R, et al. Digital
\nInhalers for Asthma or Chronic Obstructive
\nPulmonary Disease: A Scientific Perspective. Pulm
\nTher. 2021;7(2):345\u2013376. doi: 10.1007\/s41030-021-
\n00167-4
\n3. Prausnitz MR, Langer R. Transdermal Drug Delivery.
\nNat Biotechnol. 2008;26(11):1261\u20131268. doi: 10.1038\/
\nnbt.1504
\n4. Fu Z, Li S, Han S, Shi C, Zhang Y. Antibody drug
\nconjugate: the \u201cbiological missile\u201d for targeted
\ncancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther.
\n2022;7(1):93. doi: 10.1038\/s41392-022-00947-7
\n5. Li X, Li J, Wei J, et al. Design Strategies for
\nNovel Lipid Nanoparticle for mRNA Vaccine and
\nTherapeutics: Current Understandings and Future
\nPerspectives. MedComm. 2025;6(10):e70414. doi:
\n10.1002\/mco2.70414
\n6. Hou X, Zaks T, Langer R, Dong Y. Lipid nanoparticles
\nfor mRNA delivery. Nat Rev Mater. 2021;6:1078-1094.
\ndoi: 10.1038\/s41578-021-00358-0
\n7. Danhier F, Ansorena E, Silva JM, Coco R, Le Breton
\nA, Pr\u00e9at V. PLGA-based nanoparticles: An overview
\nof biomedical applications. J Control Release.
\n2012;161(2):505\u2013522. doi: 10.1016\/j.jconrel.2012.01.043
\n8. Hammami I, Alabdallah NM, Al jomaa A, kamoun
\nM. Gold nanoparticles: Synthesis properties and
\napplications. J King Saud Univ Sci. 2021;33(7):101560.
\ndoi: 10.1016\/j.jksus.2021.101560
\n9. Huanbutta K, Puri V, Sharma A, Singh I, Sriamornsak
\nP, Sangnim T. Rise of implantable drugs: A chronicle
\nof breakthroughs in drug delivery systems.
\nSaudi Pharm J. 2024;32(12):102193. doi: 10.1016\/j.
\njsps.2024.102193
\n10. Zhang A, Jung K, Li A, Liu J, Boyer C. Recent
\nadvances in stimuli-responsive polymer systems for
\nremotely controlled drug release. Prog Polym Sci.
\n2019;99:101164. doi: 10.1016\/j.progpolymsci.2019.101164
\n11. Almoshari Y. Osmotic Pump Drug Delivery
\nSystems\u2014A Comprehensive Review.
\nPharmaceuticals. 2022;15(11):1430. doi: 10.3390\/
\nph15111430
\nNEUROLOGICAL
\nCONDITIONS
\nNanocarriers cross the
\nblood\u2013brain barrier to deliver
\ntreatments for Alzheimer\u2019s
\nand Parkinson\u2019s.
\nCARDIOVASCULAR
\nDISEASE
\nControlled-release stents
\ndeliver drugs locally to
\nprevent restenosis.
\nCHRONIC PAIN
\nLong-acting implants
\nprovide sustained relief
\nwithout daily dosing.
\nIMPLANTABLE
\nDELIVERY SYSTEMS
\nLong-acting devices
\ncan provide sustained
\nmedication release
\nfor months or years.
\nExamples include
\ncontraceptive implants
\nand biodegradable wafers
\nfor localized delivery of
\ntherapeutics.9
\nThese \u201csmart\u201d delivery
\nsystems respond to
\nbiological signals such
\nas changes in pH,
\ntemperature, or
\nglucose levels.10
\nSTIMULIRESPONSIVE SYSTEMS
\nOSMOTIC
\nPUMPS
\nThese systems use
\nosmotic pressure to
\ndeliver medication
\nat a constant rate,
\nindependent of the
\nbody\u2019s pH or movement,
\nensuring predictable
\ndrug levels.11
\nControlled release strategies
\nControlling when and where drugs are released maximizes
\ntherapeutic benefit while minimizing side effects.
\nNanotechnology
\nNanotechnology enables drug delivery at the molecular scale,
\nopening new possibilities for precision medicine.
\nThese fat-based carriers
\nprotect and deliver genetic
\nmaterial and drugs. LNPs
\nwere crucial to mRNA
\nCOVID-19 vaccine success
\nand are now being
\nexplored for gene therapy
\nand cancer treatment.6
\nLIPID
\nNANOPARTICLES (LNPs)
\nPOLYMERIC
\nNANOPARTICLES
\nBiodegradable polymerbased carriers can be
\nengineered to release
\ntheir payload over
\nspecific timeframes
\nand respond to tumor
\nmicroenvironments.7
\nGOLD
\nNANOPARTICLES
\nThese versatile drug
\ncarriers can be
\nfunctionalized for
\ntargeted delivery and
\nused in diagnostics and
\ntherapy. Their unique
\noptical properties unlock
\nnovel delivery and
\nimaging applications.8
\nMONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES
\nThese targeted proteins require delivery systems that
\nmaintain their stability and enable subcutaneous or
\nintravenous administration. Antibody delivery has been
\nrevolutionized by high-concentration formulations and
\nauto-injectors.
\nANTIBODY\u2013DRUG CONJUGATES (ADCs)
\nCombining the targeting ability of antibodies with existing
\ndrugs creates precision therapies. ADCs like Enhertu link
\nantibodies to chemotherapy agents, delivering treatment
\ndirectly to cancer cells.4
\nPEPTIDE AND RNA THERAPEUTICS
\nAdvanced formulations protect these fragile molecules
\nfrom degradation. Lipid nanoparticles successfully deliver
\nmRNA vaccines, while peptide modifications enable longer
\ncirculation times.5
\nBiologics delivery
\nDelivering large, complex biological molecules requires specialized
\napproaches that preserve their structure and activity.
\nMICRONEEDLES
\nThese tiny needles create
\nan array that penetrates
\nonly the outer skin layer,
\ndelivering vaccines and
\nmedications without
\ntraditional injections. They
\nare being developed for
\ninsulin delivery and vaccine
\nadministration, creating a
\npain-free delivery method
\nthat improves patient
\ncompliance.1
\nSMART INHALERS
\nAdvanced pulmonary
\ndelivery systems can
\ntarget specific regions
\nof the lungs and deliver
\nboth small molecules and
\nbiologics. Next-generation
\ninhalers incorporate
\nsensors to track usage
\nand optimize dosing.2
\nModern patches can
\ndeliver molecules that
\nwere previously too large
\nto cross the skin barrier
\nvia techniques such as
\nultrasound enhancement,
\nwhich uses sound waves to
\ntemporarily increase skin
\npermeability.3
\nTRANSDERMAL SYSTEMS
\nAdvanced administration technologies
\nAdvanced delivery mechanisms are transforming how medications enter the body,
\nmaking treatments less invasive and more patient friendly.
\nBIOTHERAPEUTICS
\nFragile – require cold chain
\nstorage
\nInjectable only – cannot survive
\ndigestive system
\nBarrier blocked – too large to
\npenetrate most tissues
\nImmunogenic risk – may be
\nrecognized as foreign
\nSMALL MOLECULE
\nStable – can withstand room
\ntemperature
\nOral delivery – easily absorbed
\nin the gut
\nBarrier friendly – cross cell
\nmembranes naturally
\nLow immunogenicity – rarely
\ntrigger immune responses
\n
\n
\n
\n
\nDelivery challenges
\nJust as shipping a letter requires different logistics than transporting huge shipments,
\nthe range of therapeutics available today means different strategies are needed to
\neffectively deliver a treatment. From small molecules to biotherapeutics, there are
\ndifferent fundamental challenges to overcome.
\nINFECTIOUS DISEASES
\nMicroneedle patches
\nenable painless vaccine
\nadministration.
\nAUTOIMMUNE
\nDISEASES
\nTargeted antibodies
\nmodulate immune
\nresponses with precision.
\nRARE GENETIC
\nDISORDERS
\nAdvanced biologics and gene
\ntherapies reach previously
\nuntreatable conditions.
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Steven Gibney
Science Writer…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":371458,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[134,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-371457","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371457\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/371458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}