Overview and Future Potential of Fast Dissolving Buccal Films as Drug Delivery System for Vaccines

Abstract

Vaccination is considered one of the most successful public health interventions of the modern era. Vaccines are categorized based on the antigen used, delivery system and the route of administration. Traditional vaccines are produced from the dead, attenuated or inactivated pathogens that cause disease. However, newly developed vaccines are DNA based, liposome based, and virus like particle (VLP) based which are more effective and specific to some malignant diseases. The delivery system of vaccines has been advanced along with time as well. New delivery systems such as nanoparticles, liposomes, or cells (for DNA) has been proven to develop a more efficient vaccine. Most vaccines are administered via intramuscular (IM), subcutaneous (SQ) or oral (PO) route. However, these routes of administration have limitations and side effects. An alternative route could be oral cavity administration such as buccal or sublingual administration using film dosage form as delivery vehicle. In this article, we thoroughly reviewed the possibility of developing a quickly soluble film-based delivery system for vaccine administration. We reviewed the different types of new vaccines and vaccine formulations such as VLP based, liposome, bilosome, particulate, and summarized their suitability for use in a film dosage form. Quickly soluble film dosage form is the most optimized form of buccal administration. A film dosage form applied in the buccal cavity has several advantages: they can avoid first pass effect, they are easy to administer and prepare, and they are more cost effective. Since there is no first pass effect, only a small quantity of the vaccine is needed. Vaccines in their original form or in a nano or microparticulate form can be used in a film. The film can also be developed in multilayers to protect the vaccine from degradation by saliva or swallowing. Films are easy to prepare, administer, and can be used for systemic and local action. In addition, most of the current vaccines use mostly the parenteral route of administration, which has some major drawbacks such as poor induction of mucosal immunity, less patient compliant, less potent, high cost and cumbersome production process. Sublingual and buccal vaccine delivery can be good alternatives as they are easier to prepare and safer than parenteral administration routes. The buccal and sublingual administration have the advantage to produce both systemic and mucosal immunity.

Thermostable, Dissolvable Buccal Film Rotavirus Vaccine Is Highly Effective in Neonatal Gnotobiotic Pig Challenge Model

“…In contrast, the reconstituted liquid RRV-TV did not confer any protection. Among the various transmucosal vaccination routes, buccal mucosa is the best choice as it has excellent patient accessibility, can induce both humoral and cell-mediated protective immunity, especially strong mucosal immune responses [ 37 ], and the buccal area has direct access to the systemic circulation through the internal jugular vein [ 38 ]. It avoids the first pass effect leading to high bioavailability of the vaccine and can have a dose sparing effect.…”

“…It is possible that a virus-specific salivary IgA antibody response may have been stimulated by the buccal film vaccine, resulting in stronger protection against infection from oral virus challenge. Buccal mucosa is rich in immune cells such as dendritic cells and Langerhans cells and these cells are able to uptake vaccines in the film [ 38 ]. Rotavirus-specific antibody-producing B cells can then develop and reside in salivary glands or homing to intestinal mucosal surfaces through the common mucosal immune system and produce IgA antibodies [ 42 ].…”

A Review on Current COVID-19 Vaccines and Evaluation of Particulate Vaccine Delivery Systems

“…Additionally, the patient does not need to swallow the drug in sublingual or buccal administration. Another advantage of buccal and sublingual administration is that they do not subject proteins and/or peptides to the degradation that is usually caused by gastrointestinal administration [72]. Also, oral films are easy to prepare, administer, and handle.…”

The potential of ODFs as carriers for drugs/vaccines against COVID-19

“…Some of the vaccine preparations that are successfully formulated as ODFs are provided in Table 6. Administration of vaccines using fast dissolving buccal films is the most optimized form of administration as it has plethora of advantages when compared with parenteral route of administration [132]. Research suggests that vaccines administered via oral route are as good as or even better than those that are administered via parenteral route.…”