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Polocarpine buccal delivery system for Sjogren’s syndrome

Sjogren’s syndrome is an autommune disease which destroy salivary and tear glands. Patients with Sjogren’s suffer from xerostomia (dry month) which can lead to problems with talking, eating and swallowing.

Many time speakers standing up before audience give rise to speaker a dry mouth, but people with Sjogren’s syndrome dry mouth does not go away when speech is over. The presently available treatment for this syndrome is pilocarpine, a chilnergic drug stimulate the salivery glands but also elicits undesirable toxic effects/ side effects such as stomach cramps and sweating. Recently developed controlled release pilocarpine delivery system hopes to prevent high blood levels of the drug and the associated side-effects. The buccal delivery system of pilocarpine involves encapsulation of pilocarpine within a hydrogel then hydrates and adheres to the surface of the mouth and drug, pilocarpine is gradually released.

A new approach in Parkinson’s Disease control

Most convential approaches for Parkinson’s disease are largely directed to replace dopamine. Though generally effective in the early stages of the diseases, these treatments induce severe, or even disabling side effects, in particular, involuntary jerky movements and so called ‘On Off’ syndrome, where patients feel a change in clinical states.

Vanalis company’s research programme focuses on target a new neurotransmitter, adenosine that is known to play vital role in motor co ordination and movement control. Scientists in Vernalis have discovered a series of novel and highly selective Adenosine A receptor antagonists. They believe such adenosine receptor antagonists has potential to improve treatment of the symptoms of Parkin-son’s disease with minimum risk and avoiding the deleterious effects.

Compiled by students of K M K College of Pharmacy, Mumbai