Targeted drug delivery of rosuvastatin via nanoemulgel: A step towards more effective rheumatoid arthritis therapy.

The intent of the current study was the repurposing of rosuvastatin (RSV), an anti-hyperlipidemic drug, for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Transdermal delivery of RSV, a repurposed drug, loaded in nanoemulgel (NEG) improves the permeation of the drug through the skin and reaches the desired site of action. This thereby enhances the concentration of the drug at the site of action, reducing the side effects associated with other routes of delivery, further showing anti-inflammatory potential in the management of RA. Nanoemulsion (NE) was prepared by the spontaneous emulsification method. The globule size and polydispersity index of the developed NE were evaluated by Malvern ZetaSizer. Furthermore, RSV-NEG has been developed and characterized. In vivo efficacy of RSV-NEG was evaluated in complete Freund's adjuvant-induced RA in rats. Pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations in rat serum were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The globule size and polydispersity index of 0.4% w/w RSV NE were found to be 8.96 ± 0.19 nm and < 0.3, respectively. The developed NEG showed pseudoplastic shear thinning behavior and an average drug content of 97.54 ± 0.36%. The RSV demonstrated 28-fold higher permeation from RSV-NEG compared to free RSV gel. The animals treated with RSV-NEG exhibited anti-inflammatory potential along with significantly reduced (****p < 0.0001) paw thickness and arthritis scores compared to the negative control group. The promising findings with permeability after topical application and anti-inflammatory potential emphasize the ability of RSV-NEG to manage RA effectively.