Localization of Amphotericin B in self nano-emulsifying drug delivery systems

Amphotericin B (AmB) is a life-saving drug in the treatment of serious systemic fungal infections. Oral delivery of AmB is considered the most favourable route with lower cost and higher patient compliance, in particular for paediatric use. However, AmB has poor aqueous solubility causing very low oral bioavailability. Here, this drawback is resolved by employing a drug-phospholipid complex strategy. The AmB complex displays improved bioavailability when incorporated in lipid-based formulations. When dispersed in water, the formulation forms a colloidal oil-in-water emulsion of nanosized oil droplets. A better understanding of how the drug complex behaves can lead to a strategy for higher bioavailability. We therefore wish to study the localization of AmB in the emulsion droplets (core/shell) and follow the digestion of the lipid-based droplets during pH-controlled lipolysis experiments.