Formulation and Evaluation of Finasteride Loaded Nanoparticles Based Topical Gel for the Management of Androgenetic Alopecia

The study developed and evaluated Finasteride-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for topical delivery to manage androgenetic alopecia, aiming to reduce systemic side effects associated with oral administration. The NLCs were prepared using Compritol 888 ATO and oleic acid, resulting in a mean particle size of 248.2 nm and an entrapment efficiency of 84.37%. The in vitro drug release showed a biphasic pattern with sustained release up to 6 hours. These NLCs were incorporated into a Carbopol 940 gel, which demonstrated satisfactory pH, spreadability, viscosity, and drug content (97.45%). The findings suggest that this Finasteride-loaded NLC gel could be a promising topical delivery system with improved localization and sustained release, potentially reducing systemic side effects.