Transdermal Delivery of Lornoxicam using Proniosomal Gel for The Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disorder characterized by progressive cartilage destruction, inflammation, and persistent pain, resulting in impaired mobility and reduced quality of life. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as lornoxicam are commonly used for symptom management; however, prolonged oral therapy is often associated with gastrointestinal and systemic adverse effects. Transdermal drug delivery systems provide an alternative approach by avoiding firstpass metabolism and enabling sustained drug release. Proniosomes, a stable vesicular drug delivery system, have gained attention for enhancing skin permeation and improving drug stability. This review discusses osteoarthritis pathology, limitations of conventional lornoxicam therapy, the rationale for proniosomal transdermal delivery, formulation aspects, evaluation parameters, clinical relevance, and future prospects. Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disorder characterized by progressive cartilage destruction, inflammation, and persistent pain, ultimately resulting in functional impairment and reduced quality of life [1]. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as lornoxicam are commonly prescribed to relieve pain and inflammation; however, prolonged oral administration is frequently associated with gastrointestinal irritation, renal complications, and other systemic adverse effects, limiting their long-term therapeutic use [2,3]. Transdermal drug delivery offers a promising alternative by bypassing first-pass metabolism, providing sustained release, and improving patient compliance. Among emerging transdermal carriers, proniosomes have gained significant attention due to their superior stability, ease of storage, enhanced drug entrapment, and improved skin permeation characteristics compared with conventional vesicular systems. This review highlights the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis, the limitations of conventional lornoxicam therapy, and the scientific rationale behind the development of proniosomal transdermal delivery. It further emphasizes formulation strategies, optimization parameters, evaluation techniques, therapeutic advantages, and clinical relevance of lornoxicam-loaded proniosomal gels in osteoarthritis management. Overall, proniosomal systems present a promising and patient-friendly approach for effective and safer long-term therapy, with potential to overcome the challenges associated with conventional NSAID delivery.