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Nanomedicine and Nanoscale Delivery (Focus Group – NND)

Azithromycin Repurposing for Anticancer Therapy via Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SNEDDS)

Khaleda Alghamdi – Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, King Abdulaziz University
Introduction: Drug repurposing accelerates the development of new therapeutic uses for approved drugs. Azithromycin (AZ) has shown potential anticancer activity through autophagy inhibition and modulation of tumor survival pathways (1). However, poor aqueous solubility (~0.1 mg/mL) and low oral bioavailability limit its translation in oncology (2). Nanotechnology approaches such as self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) can enhance surface area-to-volume ratio, thereby improving AZ solubilization and absorption. This study aimed to develop and optimize AZ-loaded SNEDDS to enhance oral delivery as a feasible anticancer treatment strategy.

Learning Objectives:

  • Recognize azithromycin as a promising candidate for anticancer therapy.
  • Explain the formulation and characterization of SNEDDS systems.
  • Evaluate the role of SNEDDS in enhancing azithromycin solubility and oral delivery.