Encapsulation of lipid-based formulations in porous carriers for controlled drug delivery

Lipid-based formulations have recently been investigated as a promising ap-proach to enhance the bioavailability of drugs, especially poorly water-soluble drugs. The encapsulation of lipid-based formulations in porous materials can result in a transfor-mation of liquids or semisolid forms to solid dosage forms. Moreover, the specific struc-ture of porous carriers could offer an enhanced ability to load and control active pharma-ceutical ingredients. Although there have been prominent reports on lipid-based formula-tions and porous materials as promising technologies for controlled drug release, the over-all methods of encapsulating lipid-based formulations need to be discussed for further for-mulation investigations. This review aims to present the key strategies used for produc-ing porous carriers containing lipid-based formulations. We also discuss methods that en-hance the encapsulation efficiency of loaded drugs within porous structures (instead of lipid-based formulations). Moreover, the critical factors that affect tablet formation are outlined. This overview of lipid-based formulations encapsulated within porous materials provides a summary of the technical methods used in the development of these formula-tions and their clinical translation.