SELF-EMULSIFYING DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS (SEDDS): AN ADVANCED APPROACH FOR ENHANCING ORAL BIOAVAILABILITY OF POORLY WATER-SOLUBLE DRUGS

Poor aqueous solubility is one of the major challenges in pharmaceutical drug development,
as many therapeutic compounds exhibit limited absorption in the gastrointestinal tract,
resulting in reduced bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery
Systems (SEDDS) have emerged as an effective formulation strategy to overcome this
limitation. SEDDS are isotropic mixtures composed of oils, surfactants, co-surfactants, and
lipophilic drugs that spontaneously form fine oil-in-water emulsions when exposed to
gastrointestinal fluids under mild agitation produced by gastric motility. This spontaneous
emulsification process significantly enhances the surface area of the drug, leading to
improved dissolution and increased absorption across the intestinal membrane.