Authors : Pandian C.; Pooja B.; Gowtham A.; Gunaseelan M.; Praveen Kumar D.

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 7 - July

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5aaz3cha

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/maej3j43

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jul855

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Film-forming systems (FFS) are topical semi-solid or liquid formulations that turn into a thin film on the skin surface after solvent evaporation by transforming in situ and containing the drug in a polymer matrix. Unlike conventional semisolid dosage forms and transdermal patches, FFS possesses cosmetic elegance, extends skin residence time, enhances drug permeation through cosmetic supersaturation, and achieves conformability to irregular wound geometries. This review summarizes the formulation science underlying FFS, including the selection of polymers and plasticizers, the design of solvent architecture, strategies to enhance penetration, and the physicochemical basis of in situ film formation and supersaturation. Special focus is given to the use of next-generation platforms for nano-integrated FFS, such as solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, polymeric nanoparticles, and stimuli-responsive matrices. The clinical and experimental evidence from 2020 to 2025 in the wound management, antifungal therapy, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and cutaneous leishmaniasis areas is critically appraised, and frameworks for evaluating the evidence based on the principles of Quality-by-Design are described, as are unmet regulatory and translational challenges. The review ends by analyzing new perspectives, such as the combination of 3D printing and FFS, the combination of microneedles and FFS, and the use of artificial intelligence for formulation design, as well as the clearly identified gaps in evidence and manufacturing that need to be overcome before nano-integrated FFS can be routinely translated into clinical practice.

Keywords : Film-Forming System; Film Formation in Situ; Topical Drug Delivery; Nanostructured Lipid Carrier; Skin Penetration; Spray Forming System; Stimuli-Responsive Polymers; Wound Healing.

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