An expanding horizon of complex injectable products: development and regulatory considerations

There has been a constant evolution in the pharmaceutical market concerning the new technologies imbibed in delivering drug substances for various indications. This is either market-driven or technology-driven to improve the overall therapeutic efficacy and patients’ quality of life. The pharmaceutical industry has experienced rapid growth in the area of complex injectable products because of their effectiveness in the unmet market. These novel parenteral products, viz, the nanoparticles, liposomes, microspheres, suspensions, and emulsions, have proven their worth as “Safe and Effective” products. However, the underlying challenges involved in the development, scalability, and characterization of these injectable products are critical. Moreover, the guidelines available do not provide a clear understanding of these complex products, making it difficult to anticipate the regulatory requirements. Thus, it becomes imperative to comprehend the criticalities and develop an understanding of these products. This review discusses various complexities involved in the parenteral products such as complex drug substances, excipients, dosage forms, drug administration devices like pre-filled syringes and injector pens, and its different characterization tools and techniques. The review also provides a brief discussion on the regulatory aspects and associated hurdles with other parenteral products. Graphical abstract