Fabrication, characterization and <i>in vitro</i> release kinetics of tofacitinib-encapsulated polymeric nanoparticles: a promising implication in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Sajid Bashir, Muhammad Naeem Aamir, Rai Muhammad Sarfaraz, Zahid Hussain, Muhammad Umer Sarwer, Asif Mahmood, Muhammad Rouf Akram, Muhammad Naeem Qaisar
Abstract
Despite exhibiting remarkable efficacy for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, clinical applicability of tofacitinib (TFC) is limited owing to its short plasma half-life. Therefore, this study was aimed to design a novel poly-(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-based nanoparticles to achieve sustained release as well as target-specific delivery of TFC. TFC-loaded-NPs exhibited 248 ± 14 nm size, −40 ± 4.3 mV zeta potential, and 60% entrapment efficiency. A biphasic release pattern which follow Higuchi model (R2 = 0.9825) and Fickian diffusion (n < 0.5) has been perceived. Conclusively, we evidenced that TFC-PLGA-NPs could be a promising nanodelivery system to improve pharmacokinetic profile of TFC.