Abstract

ABSTRACT Drugs are most often administered by the oral route. However, more than 40% of new chemical entities exhibit poor aqueous solubility, resulting in unsatisfactory oral drug delivery. Recently, much attention has been focused on Selfemulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) are usually used to improve the bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs. Conventional SEDDS, however, are mostly prepared in a liquid form, which can produce some disadvantages. Accordingly, solid SEDDS (S-SEDDS), prepared by solidification of liquid/semisolid self-emulsifying (SE) ingredients into powders, have gained popularity. This article gives an overview of the recent advances in the study of S-SEDDS, especially the related solidification techniques and the development of solid SE dosage forms. Finally, the existing problems and the possible future research directions in this field are pointed out.