PT74701A - Process for the production of lipid membrane structures - Google Patents

Abstract

Vesicles are produced by dispersing in an aq. soln. a soln. contg. lipids, amphiphiles, and other lipophilic materials capable of forming vesicles, in a solvent system and subsequently stripping off at least a portion of that system. The system comprises at least two organic components S1 and S2 and (a) S2 is highly soluble in the aq. soln.; (b) S2 is hydrophobic and more volatile than the aq. soln.; (c) the lipophilic material is not entirely soluble in S2 alone; (d) the mixt. of S1 and S2 forms an interface with the aq. soln.; and (e) the lipophilic materials may be dissolved in a mixt. of S1 and S2. The process enables lipid membrane structures i.e. vesicles or liposomes, to be made in an effective, efficient and reproducible manner. The conditions are mild; the vesicles formed trap the aq. phase efficiently and maintain their contents effectively; the vesicle dispersions exhibit good colloidal stability, the vesicles have easily reproducible physical properties, and the method is continuous and easily adaptable to a commercial scale. The process is particularly useful for making vesicles contg. pharmaceutical materials.