Current Drug Research Reviews - Online First

The worldwide market for over-the-counter (OTC) medications is quickly developing, providing consumers with increased self-medication options while facing substantial regulatory issues due to varied approval procedures, labeling regulations, and safety standards between nations. Despite efforts to standardize regulatory frameworks, differences in component classification, dosage limitations, and risk assessment standards impede producers, healthcare professionals, and lawmakers. This analysis looks at the regulatory environment of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals in major countries, including the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and regulatory organizations in Asia-Pacific and developing economies, highlighting notable disparities in approval procedures, marketing authorization, and pharmacovigilance. Consumer safety is one of the most important problems in regulatory divergence, since differences in authorized active ingredients, warnings, and recalls can lead to abuse, adverse medication responses, and cross-border product availability anomalies. Furthermore, the lack of standardized testing and quality control procedures hampers international trade and public health policy. Emerging threats, such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), counterfeit OTC goods, and digital health breakthroughs, necessitate a more integrated and adaptable global regulatory framework. This assessment also looks at continuing harmonization efforts by organizations such as the International Council for Harmonization (ICH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as best practices for expediting global regulatory procedures. Addressing regulatory divergence with data-driven decision-making, digital pharmacovigilance, and risk-based categorization frameworks can help enhance consumer safety, market efficiency, and public health outcomes. The future of over-the-counter medication regulation lies in collaborative policymaking, real-time safety monitoring, and rapid adaptability to changing healthcare concerns.

Managing Parkinson's Disease (PD) presents formidable challenges due to the impermeability of the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB), which severely restricts effective drug delivery. Traditional treatment modalities often prove inadequate, prompting the exploration of intranasal drug delivery as a novel and promising alternative. This innovative approach provides direct access to the central nervous system while bypassing the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB). Recent advancements in nanotechnology, particularly the development of polymeric and lipidic Nanoparticles (NPs), significantly enhance this delivery method by improving mucoadhesion and drug uptake, resulting in elevated drug concentrations in the brain and improved symptomatology. Furthermore, the unique properties of NPs enable sustained drug release, maintaining effective pharmacological levels while minimizing systemic side effects. However, challenges such as potential toxicity, formulation stability, and scalability persist. This review elucidates the role of NPs in surmounting BBB obstacles and underscores the necessity for continued research to optimize their design and ensure long-term safety. As the field advances, intranasal delivery systems hold the promise of becoming pivotal tools in PD management, offering more effective and less invasive therapeutic options for patients.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily marked by amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque accumulation and neurofibrillary tangles, which lead to cognitive decline. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are key contributors to the disease's progression, with elevated production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) exacerbating neuronal damage. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a naturally occurring antioxidant, has been identified for its potential neuroprotective effects due to its roles in mitochondrial function, energy production, and antioxidant defense. The cytokine interleukin-17 (IL-17) is also implicated in AD, promoting neuroinflammation by disrupting the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and activating glial cells. This review explores the impact of CoQ10 on neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in AD, focusing on its role in mitigating IL-17-mediated pathways. Preclinical studies indicate that CoQ10 reduces Aβ plaques, improves cognitive functions, and restores mitochondrial stability. However, clinical trials have yielded mixed results, often limited by bioavailability challenges. This research highlights the necessity of further human trials better to understand CoQ10's therapeutic potential in AD management.

Herbal medicine has been used since ancient times for the treatment of various diseases and the improvement of human health. In research, the extraction process serves as a critical initial step for isolating and purifying key bioactive components from crude plant extracts. Despite its importance, the extraction stage often receives less attention and remains underexplored. In India, traditional techniques, such as maceration, Soxhlet extraction, steam distillation, and cold pressing, are still widely used for processing medicinal plants. However, these conventional methods suffer from limitations, including low selectivity, reduced yields, prolonged processing times, and significant environmental and safety concerns due to the extensive use of organic solvents. To address these challenges, innovative extraction techniques have emerged in recent years, offering greater efficiency, selectivity, and environmental sustainability. Notable advancements include Microwave-Assisted Extraction (MAE), Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SCFE), Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE), Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE), and Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (USE). Among these, MAE has garnered significant attention for its potential to optimize extraction efficiency while minimizing resource consumption. This review provides a comprehensive comparison of different extraction methods, with a particular focus on the benefits of MAE. Furthermore, it explores the application of MAE-extracted flavonoids in the treatment of epilepsy, leveraging their proven ability to eliminate free radicals effectively. It also aims to highlight the advantages of adopting MAE in therapeutic contexts, offering novel insights into its role in enhancing the efficacy of flavonoid-based interventions. This work underscores the critical need for advancing extraction technologies to meet modern safety, environmental, and therapeutic demands.