Shaila Lewis

Manipal Academy of Higher Education | MAHE · Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MCOPS)

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by Gram-negative bacteria E. coli is responsible for 80–90% of uncomplicated cases in women. The increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance has made the management of UTIs more challenging. Plant-derived compounds have long been used to treat various diseases, and constitute an alternative to antibiotic res...

Dry eye disease is a highly prevalent ocular condition that significantly affects the quality of life and presents a major challenge in ophthalmology. Animal models play a crucial role in investigating the pathophysiology and developing effective treatments. The goal of this study was to compare and standardize two dry eye disease rodent models and...

Systemic delivery of amikacin is a widely adopted treatment modality for severe infections like sepsis. However, the current course of treatment requires repeated bolus doses of amikacin, prolonged hospitalization, and continuous therapeutic monitoring to manage the severe adverse effects. Amikacin has short half-life, which further challenges the...

According to the global mapping of dry eye disease (DED), nearly 5 to 50 % of people suffer from DED, and this number is on the rise. The drug of choice Cyclosporine A (CsA) exhibits poor ocular bioavailability due to high molecular weight and lipophilicity. Moreover, formulations of CsA currently available are in the form of oil-based emulsions th...

Curcumin (CUR), a natural polyphenolic compound extracted from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa , is used as a pharmaceutical agent, spice in food, and as a dye. Currently, CUR is being investigated for cancer treatment in Phase-II clinical trials. CUR also possesses excellent activities like anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-oxidant, theref...

Cervical cancer is an aggressive type of cancer affecting women worldwide. Many affected individuals rely on smear tests for the diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation for their treatment. However, due to a broad set of undesired results and side-effects associated with the existing protocols, the search for better diagnostic and therapeuti...

Colloidal nanocarriers and stimuli-responsive in situ gel (ISG) present an effective alternative to conventional eye drops. A combination of the two effective strategies can aid in overcoming drawbacks associated with an individual strategy. Colloidal nanocarriers improve the drug permeation and drug bioavailability at the ocular surface, however,...

An aminoglycoside antibiotic, amikacin, is used to treat severe and recurring bacterial infections. Due to the absence of a chromophore, however, amikacin must be extensively derivatized before being quantified, both in analytical and bioanalytical samples. In this study, for the first time, we developed a simple and sensitive method for measuring...

Efforts to discover antiviral drugs and diagnostic platforms have intensified to an unprecedented level since the outbreak of COVID-19. Nano-sized endosomal vesicles called exosomes have gained considerable attention from researchers due to their role in intracellular communication to regulate the biological activity of target cells through cargo p...

The aqueous solubility of active drug moiety plays a crucial role in the development of an efficacious formulation. The poor aqueous solubility of BCS class II and IV drugs is manifested as poor bioavailability. Preparation of cyclodextrin inclusion complex to improve the solubility, stability, and bioavailability is a well-established technique. T...

The incidence of corneal fungal infections continues to be a growing concern worldwide. Ocular delivery of anti-fungal drugs is challenging due to the anatomical and physiological barriers of the eye. The ocular bioavailability of ketoconazole (KTZ), a widely prescribed antifungal agent, is hampered by its limited aqueous solubility and permeation....

Hypodermic delivery of amikacin is a widely adopted treatment modality for severe infections, including bacterial septicemia, meningitis, intra-abdominal infections, burns, postoperative complications, and urinary tract infections in both paediatric and adult populations. In most instances, the course of treatment requires repeated bolus doses of a...

Recent preclinical studies have shown that resveratrol (RSV), is a promising remedy for osteoporosis owing to its estrogenic, anti‐inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. However, RSV has met limited success due to its poor oral bioavailability and inefficient systemic delivery. In this study, we prepared the inclusion complex of RSV with sulfo-b...

A novel isocratic stability-indicating chromatographic method was developed, optimized and validated using Design-Expert® following ICH guidelines for the quantification of Timolol maleate (TM). The intrinsic stability of TM was assessed by force degradation studies, which concluded no extensive degradation except under alkaline and oxidative condi...

Tizanidine hydrochloride (TIZ) is a skeletal muscle relaxant used to treat spasms, a sudden involuntary muscle contraction. The currently available oral dosage forms exhibit low oral bioavailability due to high first-pass metabolism. Frequent administration of the drug is thus necessary because of the short half-life of the drug. Transdermal delive...

In contrast to the conventional ocular formulations, contact lenses are well known for their diverse applications ranging from bio-sensing, prevention of myopia, cosmetics, and drug delivery. With a tremendous change in the lifestyle, contact lenses for therapeutic purposes have increased several fold. Contact lenses as medicated lenses suffer from...

In recent years, there have been significant advancements in the nanotechnology for cancer therapy. Even though molybdenum disulphide (MoS2)-based nanocomposites demonstrated extensive applications in biosensing, bioimaging, phototherapy, the review article focusing on MoS2 nanocomposite platform has not been accounted for yet. The review summarize...

Derma roller, a device rolled onto the skin to form micropores, is extensively used for cosmetic purposes. The pores thus created are utilized to either result in the induction of collagen production, leading to glowing and wrinkle-free skin or for permeating the applied formulations to the site of action within the skin. Recent studies have shown...

Topical and transdermal application of active pharmaceutical ingredients to the skin is an attractive strategy being explored by formulation scientists to treat disease conditions rather than the oral drug delivery. Several approaches have been attempted, and many of them have emerged with significant clinical potential. However, the delivery of dr...

RNA-interference-based mechanisms, especially the use of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), have been under investigation for the treatment of several ailments and have shown promising results for ocular diseases including glaucoma. The eye, being a confined compartment, serves as a good target for the delivery of siRNAs. This review focuses on siRNA...

Tinea are superficial fungal infections caused by dermatophytes. Luliconazole exhibits highest antifungal activity against Trichophyton spp which are major causative agents of dermatophytosis. However, luliconazole suffers from drawbacks such as less skin retention, low aqueous solubility and poor skin penetration. To overcome the limitations of lu...

Each of us has utilized courier services to transport goods and documents from one place to another, or to have items delivered directly home. Similarly, within our bodies, exosomes behave as an essential courier service to accomplish specific cell-to-cell communications, transferring genetic materials, precursors in disease, and functional protein...

The purpose of this study was to employ the Hot melt extrusion technique (HME) to prepare amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) of Apremilast, a BCS class IV drug. Drug–polymer miscibility was assessed with solubility parameter and the Flory-Huggins equation. Soluplus® was selected as the carrier and solid dispersions were prepared in 10:90, 30:70 and...

Treatment of local diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome and colonic cancer by targeting drug to the colon is a viable approach. Due to gastric degradation of drugs, proteins and peptides, only minimum amount of drug gets absorbed when administered orally and shows little therapeutic activity. Hence the stra...

Pentoxifylline (PTX), an anti-hemorrhage drug used in the treatment of intermittent claudication, is extensively metabolized by the liver resulting in a reduction of the therapeutic levels within a short duration of time. Self-nano-emulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) is well reported to enhance the bio-absorption of drugs by forming nano-size...

This study investigated the dissolution behavior of BCS class II ionizable weak base Saquinavir and its mesylate salt in the multi-compartment transfer setup employing different composition of dissolution media. The dissolution behavior of Saquinavir was studied by using a two-compartment transfer model representing the transfer of drug from the st...

Adapalene-loaded transfersome gel containing vitamin C as a combination therapy for the management of acne vulgaris was developed in the present study. The transfersome was prepared by reverse-phase evaporation, and the effect of various process parameters were investigated by the Design of Experiment (DOE) approach and optimized based on the parti...

The aim of the current study was to prepare the efficacious amorphous solid dispersion of poorly water-soluble compound, Dolutegravir. After theoretical and experimental determination of drug-polymer miscibility, polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylne glycol graft copolymer was chosen as a polymer. The solid dispersions of Dolutegravir...

Approximately 30-70% of the existing and new chemical entities exhibit poor aqueous solubility. For topical ocular delivery, drug molecules need to possess both hydrophilic and lipophilic nature to enable absorption through the aqueous tear layer and permeation through the corneal lipophilic barrier. To overcome the aqueous solubility related issue...

In the past decade, research in the area of nanodrug delivery has reached a new height with the advent of lipid based nanodrug delivery systems. Lipids being biocompatible and possessing diverse physicochemical properties have tremendous potential to enhance oral bioavailability of water insoluble drugs. Incorporation of a drug in lipid carriers is...

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammation disease occurring due to a large cascade of molecular and biological processes. Pentoxifylline (PTX) has a profound anti-inflammatory activity and is clinically indicated in the management of psoriasis. PTX is highly hydrophilic and thus is permeation-limited to exert its action on the psoriatic lesions. Colloida...

Recently the pharmaceutical sector has witnessed a drastic rise in the advancement and incorporation of computer-based technology into several unit operations. Drug dissolution profiling is an important consideration for the successful development of immediate and extended orally delivered formulations. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK)...

A novel pectin-based silver nanocomposite film has been synthesized with the aid of microwave, using green technology and its capacity to adsorb and deliver anti-Alzheimer's drug Donepezil (DPZ) has been investigated. The nanocomposite exhibited excellent adsorption and release efficiency. The pristine and the drug loaded films were characterized u...

A new series of novel highly substituted imidazole and imidazole bi‐heterocycles have been synthesized via atom economic, one‐pot condensation reaction using benzil, substituted benzaldehydes, various amine scaffolds, and ammonium acetate using ZnO nanoparticles as effective catalyst. Simple operation, cheap catalyst, good to excellent yield, etc,...

Skeletal muscle relaxants are a broad class of active pharmaceutical ingredients routinely prescribed for a variety of clinical conditions. The design of a successful product in this category relies primarily on the formulation strategies as compared to the drug in question. Almost all of the skeletal muscle relaxants known till date are extensivel...

The potential of β-cyclodextrins as a pharmaceutical aid has been established through several decades of research. However, some β-cyclodextrins are reported to be toxic causing deleterious effects on long term usage. In the recent past, sulfobutyl ether β-cyclodextrin, a modified β-cyclodextrin has captured interest as a comparatively safer and ef...

Turning the clock to about 30 years ago, one could see most pharmacy shelves stacked with tablets, capsules, ointments, creams, and injection vials. Though these systems of treatment were and are doing justice to the suffering patients, the advent of technology and the ever-changing needs of the patients have slowly shifted the spotlight toward the...

Purpose A non-propellant based foam (NPF) system was developed incorporating the antibiotics, pectin capped green nano-silver and sulfadiazine (SD) for the topical treatment of burn wounds as a convenient alternative to the existing therapies. Methods NPF were prepared using various surfactants and oils forming a nanoemulsion. Anti-microbial studi...

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been regarded as a wonder drug for many dermatological complications; however, its application is limited due to the extreme irritation, and toxicity seen once it has sufficiently concentrated into the bloodstream from the skin. Thus, the present study was aimed to increase the entrapment of ATRA and minimize its...

Objective: The objective of this research was to explore the potential of Hot Melt Extrusion (HME) technique by using theophylline as the model drug to produce sustained release tablets utilizing Compritol®888 ATO as the retarding material and to study the influence of lipid: excipient ratio, excipient type as well as the processing conditions of t...

Mesoporous silica particles (MSP) have been reported to be applicable in diverse situations pertaining to the delivery of several drug molecules. MSP have established themselves in treating diseases with oral, dermal and parenteral modes of administration. Recently, dermal delivery using MSP have gained a considerable amount of interest owing to th...

Owing to the constantly increasing population and a paucity of hospital beds, digitization of healthcare is emerging as an instrumental alternative means to prevent and manage diseases in the comfort of their homes. Extending the existing technology and data towards the healthcare sector can lead to convenient communication between the patient and...

Malaria is one among the several parasitic infections that continue to claim lives despite the tremendous progress in the techniques for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Although the figures of malaria-ridden patients are decreasing in all the countries due to the collective efforts from all sectors of the society, the tropical countries are s...

Nanotechnology is an area of growing public interest. Employing nanotechnology in the field of drug delivery has led to the advent of nanopharmaceuticals. Nanopharmaceuticals are bound to surmount various obstacles that the field of pharmacy is currently facing by offering various advantages thereby, a promising potential to formulate advanced medi...

The purpose of this study was to prepare fast-dissolving film strips containing lacidipine (LCDP) nanoparticles for transbuccal administration. Nanoparticles were prepared using the solvent-antisolvent sonoprecipitation technique. The influence of different antisolvent phase stabilizers on particle size was studied. Optimised nanosuspension was inc...

Telmisartan (TEL) is a poorly bioavailable antihypertensive drug candidate owing to its low solubility in all the biofluids. The present study is aimed to enhance the solubility of TEL by forming an inclusion complex with sulfobutylether beta-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD), discover its mode of inclusion and predict the bioavailability of the prepared com...

Saxagliptin (SAX) is dipeptidyl peptidase-4 enzyme inhibitor molecule now explored for its activity in the therapy of Alzheimer's disease. Being extremely hydrophilic, it is unable to permeate the blood-brain barrier by the conventional therapy modalities. Further repurposing the drug, SAX is associated with a reduction in the blood sugar level in...

Lacidipine (LCDP), a BCS class II calcium channel blocker, is used as antihypertensive agent. LCDP possesses low aqueous solubility and also undergoes extensive first pass metabolism resulting in oral bioavailability of 10%. The present study was aimed to enhance the solubility and hence dissolution rate of LCDP by formulating into liquisolid compa...

Pectin-based gel and its nanocomposite with zinc oxide have been compared for their capacity to release Donepezil for the possible use as an implantable drug delivery platform for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Adsorption capacities of the samples were determined as a function of pH, temperatures, concentrations of the drug, and the mass of...

Antimicrobial resistance refers to the ability of a microbial population to physiologically withstand and overcome the harmful effects of an antimicrobial compound. Concerns regarding the building up of resistance to antimicrobials has surfaced because it diminishes the ability to combat relatively common infections which results in increased healt...

Cosmetic skin care products currently in the market demonstrate an increasing trend towards antiaging products. Selection of the right formulation approach is the key to successful consumer acceptance. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for dermal application can render added benefits to the formulation. Tretinoin a derivative of vitamin A, is a...

A stability-indicating RP-HPLC method was developed for quantification of asenapine maleate (ASPM) in lipid nanoformulations. The proposed method was used to assess intrinsic stability of ASPM by conducting force degradation study. The results indicated no considerable degradation of ASPM on subjecting it to hydrolytic, oxidative, thermal and photo...

The objective of the study was to explore the possible formation of the inclusion complex of lacidipine (LCDP), a class II drug under biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS) with beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and modified β-CDs: hydroxy propyl- beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and sulfobutyl ether-beta-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) in order to enhance the sol...

Felodipine exhibits limited oral bioavailability, one reason being cytochrome P 450 substrate. Quercetin is reported in literature as an inhibitor of P-glycoprotein and cytochrome P 450, thereby, improving bioavailability of P-glycoprotein and cytochrome P 450 substrates. A mixture of quercetin and felodipine showed increased permeability of felodi...

A simple and reliable reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method was developed for quantification of lacidipine in rat plasma using felodipine as internal standard. The protein precipitation technique was adopted for the sample preparation. Separation was carried out on a Hyperclone BDS C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm). T...

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate a nanoparticulate system composed of Ntrimethyl chitosan (TMC) for improving the oral bioavailability of Acyclovir (ACV). Methods: TMC was prepared by methylation of chitosan and characterized by H-NMR spectroscopy. The ionic gelation method was used to prepare ACV loaded TMC nanoparticles. Non-everte...

The aim of the present work was to perform subacute toxicity study of lacidipine nanoformulation in Wistar rats. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) of lacidipine was formulated using ultrasound dispersion technique. Subacute toxicity study was carried out by administrating orally SLNs containing 0.140, 0.350, and 0.875 mg of lacidipine as low, medium...

Purpose: To determine if complexation with β- cyclodextrin (β-CD) increases water solubility and subsequent bioavailability of nelfinavir mesylate (NM). Methods: Complexation of NM with β-CD in 1:1.5 molar ratio was carried out by solvent evaporation, freeze-drying and kneading methods. The complexes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared...

The present study was aimed at investigating the safety of Lacidipine (LCDP) loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) in Wistar rats. NLCs were formulated using ultrasound dispersion technique. Animals were orally treated once daily with NLCs containing 0.140 mg, 0.350 mg, and 0.875 mg of LCDP as low, medium, and high dose per kg body weight, re...

The purpose of this study was to develop nanosuspension based on combinative technology to enhance the intestinal absorption of Olmesartanmedoxomil(OLM), a potent antihypertensive agent with limited oral bioavailability. Two combinative approaches were employed and then characterized. In vitro intestinal absorption of OLM nanosuspension and plain O...

The objective of the present study was to develop and validate a simple, accurate and reliable reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography method for the estimation of lacidipine. The method was developed on Grace Vydac RP C-18 Column (250 × 4.6 mm i.d., particle size 5 μm) using mobile phase consisting in the ratio of 90:10 acetonitrile:0...

The access to medicine is one of the biggest challenges faced by the health care sector. Essential medicines continue to be unaffordable or insufficiently available. There are many factors contributing to the access of medicine. In this article the key aspects affecting access to medicines have been identified and discussed. © 2015, Indian Pharmace...

Aim Nateglinide is a quick acting anti-diabetic medication whose potent activity lasts for a short duration. One of the dangerous side effects of nateglinide administration is rapid hypoglycemia, a condition that needs to be monitored carefully to prevent unnecessary fatalities. The aim of the study was to develop a longer lasting and slower releas...

Smart Drug Delivery Systems (SDDS) have emerged as panacea for many clinically useful drugs weighed down with toxicity. The discovery of Amphotericin B as a liposome has raised hopes and directed mammoth efforts in SDDS. The concept of manipulation of toxicity has given rise to additional significant approaches like targeting and use of physico-che...

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare marketed Generic and Innovator product of Meropenem for injectionnearing theshelf life. Method: The marketed samples of Generic and Innovator Company were tested for pH, Clarity, Appearance of the product and Reconstitution time. All the samples were reconstituted and pH was determined using cali...

The aim of the present study was to formulate once daily sustained release matrix tablets of Stavudine to increase therapeutic efficacy, reduce frequency of administration and improve patient compliance. The sustained release tablets were prepared by direct compression and formulated using different drug: polymer ratios, formulations such as F1to F...

The aim of the current investigation is to evaluate the transdermal potential of novel vesicular carrier, ethosomes, bearing aceclofenac, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) agents having limited transdermal permeation. Aceclofenac loaded ethosomal carriers were prepared, optimized and characterized for vesicular shape and surface morpho...

The oral administration of aceclofenac has often resulted in side effects with chronic use. Using the transdermal route eliminates these side effects. Aceclofenac ethosomes were prepared and incorporated into a gel to enhance the skin permeability of aceclofenac. Ethosomal system comprised of phospholipids, ethanol, propylene glycol and lecithin. D...

Poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) is one of the most widely used biodegradable synthetic polymer for sustained release formulations. In the present work, in situ gel formulation has been developed using poly (lactide-co-glycolide) to deliver an antidiabetic drug-rosiglitazone, that can be given by subcutaneous route. The effect of different vehicle...

Solid dispersions have attracted considerable interest as an efficient means of improving the dissolution rate and hence the bioavailability of a range of hydrophobic drugs. This article reviews the various preparation techniques for solid dispersion and compiles some of the recent technology transfers. The different types of solid dispersions base...

In situ forming polymeric formulations are drug delivery systems that are in sol form before administration in the body, but once administered, undergo gelation in situ, to form a gel. The formation of gels depends on factors like temperature modulation, pH change, presence of ions and ultra violet irradiation, from which the drug gets released in...

The plasma concentration time profiles for nicotine were characterized after a single application of nicotine transdermal system to the upper fore arm of healthy smokers. A 12 cm² system was applied for 24 h. Blood samples were withdrawn at predetermined time intervals. Plasma nicotine concentrations rose rapidly and achieved a mean C<su...

Mucoadhesive tablets for buccal administration of nicotine were prepared as an alternative to the available nicotine dosage forms. Three types of tablets were developed each containing two mucoadhesive components (HPMC, K4M and sodium alginate), (HPMC, K4M and carbopol) (Chitosan and sodium alginate). For each of these types, batches were produced...

The availability of nicotine-replacement therapies is very low in India, as there are only a few importers. Currently, negligible forms of transdermal patches are available, they are expensive, and not easily accessible to the common man. In this study, an attempt was made to develop transdermal patches of nicotine, which are cost effective and con...

A simple, rapid and sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the analysis of nicotine in plasma. This method involved simple extraction procedure prior to chromatographic analysis. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a reverse phase C 18 column with ultraviolet detection at 260 nm. The mobile phase consi...

Transdermal Sodium alginate patches containing nicotine with Ethyl cellulose/Whatman filter paper as rate controlling membrane were formulated. Prepared patches were evaluated for thickness, drug content, content uniformity, weight variation, water uptake, stability and in vitro release characteristics using sigma membrane, excised rat skin and exc...