Neuropathic pain (NP) remains maltreated for a wide number of patients by the currently available treatments and little research has been done in finding new drugs for treating NP. Ziconotide (Prialt^TM) had been developed as the new drug, which belongs to the class of ω-conotoxin MVIIA. It inhibits N-type calcium channels. Ziconotide is under the last phase of the clinical trial, a new non-narcotic drug for the management of NP. Synthetically it has shown the similarities with ω-conotoxin MVIIA, a constituent of poison found in fish hunting snails (Conus magus). Ziconotide acts by selectively blocking neural N-type voltage-sensitized Ca²⁺ channels (NVSCCs). Certain herbal drugs also have been studied but no clinical result is there and the study is only limited to preclinical data. This review emphasizes the N-type calcium channel inhibitors, and their mechanisms for blocking calcium channels with their remedial prospects for treating chronic NP.

A large number of the population faces mortality as an effect of tuberculosis (TB). The line of treatment in the management of TB faces a jolt with ever-increasing multi-drug resistance (DR) cases. Further, the drugs engaged in the treatment of TB are associated with different toxicities, such as renal and hepatic toxicity. Different combinations are sought for effective anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) effects with a decrease in toxicity. In this regard, drug repurposing has been very promising in improving the efficacy of drugs by enhancement of bioavailability and widening the safety margin. The success in drug repurposing lies in specified binding and inhibition of a particular target in the drug molecule. Different drugs have been repurposed for various ailments like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hair loss, etc. Repurposing in anti-TB drugs holds great potential too. The use of whole-cell screening assays and the availability of large chemical compounds for testing against Mycobacterium tuberculosis poses a challenge in this development. The target-based discovery of sites has emerged in the form of phenotypic screening as ethionamide R (EthR) and malate synthase inhibitors are similar to pharmaceuticals. In this review, the authors have thoroughly described the drug repurposing techniques on the basis of pharmacogenomics and drug metabolism, pathogen-targeted therapy, host-directed therapy, and bioinformatics approaches for the identification of drugs. Further, the significance of repurposing of drugs elaborated on large databases has been revealed. The role of genomics and network-based methods in drug repurposing has been also discussed in this article.

The aim of this review is to discuss the development of nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) by the application of quality by design (QbD). QbD started with the evolution of the quality concept and slow adaptation of quality guidelines, which has now become a regulatory requirement. In this review, brief history and elements of QbD including risk assessment (RA) have been discussed followed by the design of experiments (DoEs) that acts as a tool to analyze the input whose variation can optimize the output with the desired goal. NLC is a versatile delivery system as researchers widely use it to administer therapeutics with different physicochemical properties. The surface of NLC can be modified, making it a suitable delivery system with targeting potential for therapeutics. Implementation of QbD provides a high-quality robust formulation that can consistently meet the patient’s requirement throughout its life cycle without compromising the safety and effectiveness of the drug and delivery system. This review discusses QbD concepts followed by the systematic development of NLC by the application of DoE. Process analytical technology (PAT) and six sigma concepts have also been included which can benefit in the development of optimized NLC.

In a number of malignancies, new immuno-oncology therapies that focus on the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) have improvised the patient condition along with a positive aftereffect. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against PD-1 and its ligand (PD-L1), have been widely used to treat a variety of malignancies, including melanoma, renal cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Dostarlimab, a therapeutic anti-PD-1 antibody, was authorised by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2021 under the trade name JEMPERLI. It is a humanised contrary PD-1 immunoglobulin G 4 (IgG4) mAb, which successfully blocks interaction with PD-L1 and PD-L2 by binding tightly to the PD-1 receptor. This article summarizes the different aspects associated with the dostarlimab, including currently available anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics, adverse reaction, and mechanism of action of dostarlimab, as well as various reported clinical trials.

In recent years, Polypodium leucotomos has emerged with a great interest for having medicinal and therapeutic potential. It is producing very promising results due to the presence of antioxidant and photoprotective properties. Electronic libraries and databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science were searched to identify relevant studies; 79 publications contributed to this review regarding Polypodium leucotomos botanical aspects, chemical composition, antioxidant and photoprotective activity. It is used in complementary and alternative therapies with various pharmaceutical dosage forms (systemic or topical). Thanks to the composition of phytochemical constituents present in the leaves and rhizomes which confer antioxidant and photoprotective activity that has clinical therapeutic potential to be used as systemic and topical sunscreen of natural origin for the prevention of different types of skin diseases caused by harmful ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiations. However, more studies are needed in the future to test the ability and enhance the capacity of sunscreen and sunblock in cosmetic formulations. To conclude, it is recommended to carry out scientific studies based on different analytical methods to evaluate the phytoconstituents potential and to develop stable pharmaceutical formulations according to the skin phototype.

Fernandoa adenophylla (FA, Heterophragma adenophyllum) is a plant, cultivated throughout Africa and Southeast Asia. It contains potent phytochemicals such as novel naphthoquinones, their derivatives (peshwaraquinone, dilapachone, adenophyllone, indadone, and lapachol), and triterpenoids [ursolic acid (UA), β-sitosterol (BS), α-amyrin, and oleanolic acid (OA)] that have been assessed and reported to show potential pharmacological activities. The crude extract obtained from the plant has been investigated for certain pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-tubercular (TB), antihypertensive, and leishmanicidal activity. A novel drug delivery systems (NDDS) is the latest technique that combines innovative development, formulations, new technology, and methodologies for the safe delivery of pharmaceutical substances in the body. The present study reports the possible treatment opportunities of FA and recent possible novel drug delivery approaches for the natural medicinal phytochemicals.

Mitochondria are important organelles for high energy synthesis, reactive oxygen species balancing, antiapoptotic molecule production, membrane stability, intracellular calcium buffering, neuroplasticity and neurotransmission. Dysfunction in mitochondria is considered to be involved in the pathophysiology of mental problems. It has been observed that several drug types used to treat brain illnesses can harm mitochondria by altering the oxidative phosphorylation system and the gene expression of mitochondria-related proteins. In some studies, it has been observed that mitochondrial biogenesis shows a therapeutic effect in the management of mitochondrial disorders. Many therapeutic compounds are effective in the activation of mitochondrial biogenesis. The comorbidity of mental problems observed in those with mitochondrial dysfunction and the change in the efficacy of the cellular respiratory system have attracted researchers to understand the pathways and possible therapeutic strategies in neurological disorders. This article has attempted to understand the impact of mitochondrial function and mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of brain disorders to develop potential therapeutic drugs.

Nutraceuticals are organic and traditional foods consumed nowadays to maintain a healthy lifestyle and get rid of lifestyle diseases like obesity, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, etc. Globally, herbal products have become increasingly popular in recent years. Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum) is a nutraceutical proven to be a dietary supplement and beneficial for cancer-suffering patients. Wheatgrass possesses many beneficial antioxidant properties: anti-cancer activity, anti-bacterial activity, anti-fungal activity, and anti-microbial activity. Due to the presence of resistant starch, lignans, phenolic acids, alkylresorcinols, and numerous antioxidant components, including carotenoids and tocopherols, this herbal plant is deserving attention as a source of dietary fiber. Patients consume wheatgrass during cancer treatment as an adjunct to reduce toxicity associated with drugs and chemotherapy and ultimately improve long-term outcomes. Studies have proved that wheatgrass helps treat pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. So, the multi-targeted herbal drug—wheatgrass—is used as an adjunct therapy alongside conventional medicine to treat cancer and other diseases. A promising therapeutic nutraceutical for avoiding lifestyle disorders is wheatgrass.