Liposome innovation is expanding what’s possible for personalized oral medicine.
Need to Knows
- Liposomal drug delivery marks Strive’s newest innovation, advancing oral pharmacokinetics and expanding what’s possible in personalized compounding.
- Solid-state multilamellar liposomes helps protect delicate molecules through layered phospholipid design, promoting stable and consistent absorption.1
- These nanoscale vesicles enable targeted drug delivery, favor lymphatic uptake, and help minimize first-pass metabolism.2
- Strive applies liposomal technology to compounds such as testosterone, semaglutide, and tirzepatide, creating new oral options once limited to injections (and this is only the beginning).
Introducing Strive’s First Liposomal Formulations
Strive is launching solid-state liposomal drug formulations for the first time, and it can meaningfully change how we approach certain medications. Liposomes are lipid nanovesicles that surround and help protect medications as they move through the harsh environment of the GI tract. Liposomes possess phospholipid layers that closely resemble the structure of human cell membranes, which may enhance the stability of the encapsulated compound and support reliable absorption.3
For clinicians, this opens the door to oral options for medications that were previously limited due to instability or poor absorption characteristics. Certain medications can now be prepared in oral liposomal formulations built to withstand digestion and support consistent uptake via the lymphatic system.
The value goes beyond having another dosage form; it’s an intentional and engineered way to deliver delicate molecules orally. Liposomal delivery sits at the intersection of compounding and pharmaceutical engineering, giving providers an additional pathway when they need flexible, well-designed options for patient care.
What Are Liposomes?
Liposomes are small, spherical vesicles made of lipid bilayers—the same fundamental structure found in human cell membranes. This design enables encapsulation of both water-soluble and fat-soluble compounds, making liposomes a versatile platform for oral medication delivery.
The concept has been around since the 1960s, but the way liposomes are engineered today is far more refined. Their layered structure can help shield a medication as it moves through the GI environment aiming to support more predictable pharmacokinetic behavior.4 That means certain molecules that would normally break down during digestion may have a more viable oral pathway when delivered in a liposomal formulation.
Origins and Evolution of Liposomes in Drug Delivery
Liposomes were first described in 1961 by British hematologist Alec D. Bangham, who observed lipid bilayers forming spontaneously when phospholipids were hydrated in water.
Initially used as membrane models, they soon attracted interest as carriers for therapeutic molecules.
As the science advanced through the 1970s and beyond, researchers saw that a lipid vesicle could help a molecule move through challenging environments such as the GI tract. This realization led to decades of progress, taking liposomes from simple liquid formats to solid-state systems built for stability and controlled particle size.
Today, liposomes are used across pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and compounding settings. Their structure gives formulators another way to support a compound’s integrity and help promote predictable pharmacokinetic behavior, especially when exploring oral routes for molecules that otherwise have poor oral bioavailability.
Liposomes vs. Micelles vs. Lysosomes: Understanding the Difference
Liposomes are often mentioned alongside other microscopic structures, but they function quite differently:
- Liposomes contain one or more lipid bilayers surrounding an internal aqueous core. They can carry both water- and fat-soluble substances and can provide a more favorable release profile.
- Micelles are smaller, single-layer lipid aggregates with no internal water-based compartment, carrying only fat-soluble compounds.
- Lysosomes are natural cell organelles responsible for waste breakdown inside cells, not engineered delivery systems.
Understanding these distinctions helps clarify why liposomes stand out as an adaptable tool for targeted drug delivery with favorable release profiles.
How Liposomes Work
Bypassing First-Pass Metabolism
Once liposomes reach the small intestine, their lipid bilayers interact with the intestinal environment. At about a thousand times smaller than a grain of sand, liposomes are absorbed through the intestinal wall and enter the lymphatic system, which allows more of the compound to reach circulation intact.5
This route helps bypass first-pass metabolism in the liver, meaning more of the active ingredient reaches systemic circulation before enzymatic breakdown.5
Supporting Lymphatic Uptake
After absorption, liposomes travel through the lymphatic system releasing their contents, helping sustain plasma levels and reduce variability common with some oral formulations.5 This behavior reflects the essence of advanced pharmacokinetics—designing delivery systems that align with the body’s endogenous transport mechanisms.
Targeted Drug Delivery Through Multilamellar Design
Liposomes may all look similar on paper, but their structure makes a big difference.
A unilamellar liposome has just one lipid bilayer, which gives some protection but doesn’t hold up as well in the GI environment.
Strive’s multilamellar system adds additional protection within the liposome :
Before the lipid layers are even formed, the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is first encapsulated within an inclusion complex.
This inclusion complex stabilizes the medication and helps maintain its integrity during compounding and after ingestion.
Once the API is encapsulated within the inclusion complex, multiple lipid bilayers are formed around it, creating a multilamellar vesicle.
These layers may dissolve gradually in the GI environment, offering additional protection and helping to support a more favorable release profile.6
Because both the inclusion complex and the lipid layers contribute to stability, a greater portion of the active ingredient remains protected long enough to reach the point of absorption.
The overall system is steady, predictable, and engineered to support consistent delivery.7
Pharmacokinetics (PK) of Liposomes
Four main factors influence the pharmacokinetics of liposomes:
- Size – Smaller vesicles tend to pass the intestinal barrier more efficiently than larger vesicles.8 But uniformity is just as critical; consistent particle size helps ensure each dose behaves predictably.
- Surface Composition – Phospholipid makeup dictates how vesicles interact with intestinal membranes and enzymes, shaping the timing and efficiency of absorption.3
- Layers – Multilamellar designs add resilience. With multiple lipid layers dissolving in sequence, these structures may offer enhanced protection and a more favorable release profile.9
- Formulation – Consistency starts with structure. By compressing liposomes into a stable, solid-state matrix, Strive helps ensure each tablet disperses uniformly — supporting predictable absorption and dependable performance from dose to dose.10
Studies done in animal models show these parameters collectively determine how liposomal medications behave once administered.
Tolerability and Regulatory Perspective
Liposomal formulations have a long history of clinical use. Because the active ingredient is tucked inside layers of lipids, it’s gentler on the stomach and less likely to irritate sensitive tissues.11 This approach may lead to fewer unwanted gastrointestinal effects.
All Strive liposomal formulations are compounded under licensed pharmacy standards using validated ingredients and quality-controlled processes for individual patient needs. While compounded preparations are not FDA-approved drugs, they adhere to rigorous internal quality standards for potency, uniformity, and formulation integrity.
FAQs: Liposome Drug Delivery for Providers
What defines a liposome in pharmaceutical compounding?
A liposome is a nanoscale vesicle composed of phospholipid bilayers that encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds. This structure mirrors cellular membranes and allows for targeted, protected delivery of active ingredients.
How does liposomal delivery enhance oral pharmacokinetics?
Liposomal encapsulation shields active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from the harsh gastric environment. Additionally, appropriately sized nanovesicles favor lymphatic absorption, thereby reducing first-pass hepatic metabolism and increasing systemic bioavailability.12 (This information is based on the results of animal studies.)
Which patient populations or clinical scenarios may be best suited for liposomal oral delivery?
Consider liposomal formulations for patients who are needle-averse, require home-based regimens, or who have experienced suboptimal outcomes with conventional oral medications that have known oral bioavailability limitations.
What is the advantage of multilamellar over unilamellar liposomes?
Multilamellar liposomes help provide sequential, layered protection aiming to promote favorable medication release profiles. This design helps improve encapsulation efficiency and supports more consistent plasma levels compared to other formulations such as single-bilayer (unilamellar) vesicles.5
Are there suitability or tolerability differences with liposomal formulations?
Liposomal delivery may reduce local GI irritation and potential systemic unwanted effects by limiting direct mucosal exposure and providing controlled release.11 Strive’s products are compounded under strict quality standards, but as with all compounded preparations, clinical monitoring is advised.
Can liposomal oral delivery be utilized for parenteral administered medications?
For some APIs, liposomal oral delivery can offer an excellent alternative option to injections. However, suitability depends on the compound’s characteristics and patient-specific factors.
What quality controls are in place for Strive’s liposomal formulations?
To exceed minimum testing standards, Strive aims to employ validated compounded processes – such as particle-size analysis, encapsulation efficiency testing, and rigorous batch controls to ensure consistent product uniformity and stability.
References
- Fobian SF, Cheng Z, Ten Hagen TLM. Smart lipid-based nanosystems for therapeutic immune induction against cancers: perspectives and outlooks. Pharmaceutics. 2021;14(1):26. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics14010026. PMID: 35056922; PMCID: PMC8779430.
- Harisa GI, Sherif AY, Alanazi FK. Hybrid lymphatic drug delivery vehicles as a new avenue for targeted therapy: lymphatic trafficking, applications, challenges, and future horizons. J Membr Biol. 2023;256(3):199-222. doi:10.1007/s00232-023-00280-2. PMID: 36752839; PMCID: PMC9906606.
- He H, Lu Y, Qi J, Zhu Q, Chen Z, Wu W. Adapting liposomes for oral drug delivery. Acta Pharm Sin B. 2019;9(1):36-48. doi:10.1016/j.apsb.2018.06.005. PMCID: PMC6362257. PMID: 30766776.
- Liu P, Chen G, Zhang J. A review of liposomes as a drug delivery system: current status of approved products, regulatory environments, and future perspectives. Molecules. 2022;27(4):1372. doi:10.3390/molecules27041372. PMCID: PMC8879473. PMID: 35209162.
- Ahn H, Park JH. Liposomal delivery systems for intestinal lymphatic drug transport. Biomater Res. 2016;20:36. doi:10.1186/s40824-016-0083-1. PMCID: PMC5120490. PMID: 27895934.
- Joo KI, Xiao L, Liu S, et al. Crosslinked multilamellar liposomes for controlled delivery of anticancer drugs. Biomaterials. 2013;34(12):3098-3109. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.01.039. PMCID: PMC3995748. PMID: 23375392.
- Daeihamed M, Dadashzadeh S, Haeri A, Akhlaghi MF. Potential of liposomes for enhancement of oral drug absorption. Curr Drug Deliv. 2017;14(2):289-303. doi:10.2174/1567201813666160115125756. PMID: 26768542.
- Şufaru RF, Stan CI, Peptu CA, et al. Histological findings for the absorption of small and large liposomes: the basis of future drug delivery and contrast media systems. Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2023;64(4):535-542. doi:10.47162/RJME.64.4.10. PMCID: PMC10863683. PMID: 38184834.
- Matsuura-Sawada Y, Maeki M, Uno S, Wada K, Tokeshi M. Controlling lamellarity and physicochemical properties of liposomes prepared using a microfluidic device. Biomater Sci. 2023;11(7):2419-2426. doi:10.1039/d2bm01703b. PMID: 36752548.
- Andra VVSNL, Pammi SVN, Bhatraju LVKP, Ruddaraju LK. A comprehensive review on novel liposomal methodologies, commercial formulations, clinical trials, and patents. Bionanoscience. 2022;12(1):274-291. doi:10.1007/s12668-022-00941-x. PMCID: PMC8790012. PMID: 35096502.
- Gong Y, Yuan D, Zhan Q, et al. Liposome encapsulation for casein-derived peptides: release behavior, in vitro digestibility, nutrient absorption, and gut microbiota. Food Chem X. 2025;29:102652. doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102652. PMCID: PMC12206040. PMID: 40583902.
- Yu B, Lee RJ, Lee LJ. Microfluidic methods for production of liposomes. Methods Enzymol. 2009;465:129-141. doi:10.1016/S0076-6879(09)65007-2. PMCID: PMC3790261. PMID: 19913165.
Disclaimers:
The information provided in this blog article is for informational and educational purposes only. Refer to the cited references for more information regarding the content presented. The information in this blog article is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical attention because of something you have read in this blog article. The creators of this content disclaim any liability for decisions made based on the information presented.
Consult your healthcare provider before starting any over-the-counter (OTC) products or prescription medications. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider for any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Certain medications may interact with your current prescription medications, medical conditions, or other supplements. Your healthcare provider can provide guidance tailored to your specific health needs.
Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA, and these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
