Fabrication and Evaluation of Rimantadine Loaded Niosomes

Influenza virus is a highly contagious zoonotic respiratory disease that causes seasonal outbreaks each year and unpredictable pandemics occasionally with high morbidity and mortality rates, posing a great threat to public health worldwide. Besides the limited effect of vaccines, the problem is exacerbated by the lack of drugs with strong antiviral activity against all flu strains. Rimantadine is one of the effective anti-viral drugs that is used in treating influenza virus. In present study niosomes of Rimantadine were developed by ether injection method. Total 6 formulations were prepared by altering ratios of span 60 and cholesterol. The prepared formulations were evaluated for different parameters. In vitro drug release studies were carried out for all the formulations and among five formulations F5 was found to have highest drug release. Prepared niosomes were incorporated in gel and evaluation studies like pH, homogenicity, viscosity and spreadability were carried out. All the parameters were found satisfactory. It was compared with marketed gel. The former has shown drug release till 12 h whereas the latter has shown only till 6 h. Thus, sustained release of drug loaded niosomes was proved.