Lipid-based colloidal carriers for topical application of antiviral drugs

Abstract Herpes infections are very frequent, affecting both men and women, especially those whose immune system is weakened, and causing manifestations in face, lips, oral, nasal and genital mucosa. Herpes can also spread to other parts of the body such as the central nervous system and leave severe squeals in about 80% of cases. The current topical therapies to treat herpes infections are based on formulations containing an antiviral agent, but whose effectiveness is limited due to low skin penetration of the actives. For this reason, the development of topical formulations containing lipid-based colloidal carriers is a promising approach to promote more effective penetration through the skin and to reduce the frequency of application. This chapter provides an overview of the current lipid-based colloidal carriers developed for topical application of antiviral drugs, and summarizes the most important challenges and strategies that researchers will find when developing formulations with this purpose.