Use of supercritical CO2 for the production and sterilization of liposomes

Despite the numerous laboratory-scale methods available for producing liposomes, only a few are used for commercial manufacturing, delivering liposomes with the necessary critical quality attributes without the use of organic solvents, in GMP conditions, and with a low number of unit operations. Similarly, conventional sterilization methods remain a challenge for liposome sterilization due to their sensitivity and tendency toward physicochemical alterations. Manufacturing and sterilizing liposomes on a large scale are still challenging. Considering the various advantages of ScCO2, this method could serve as an alternative to other methods for the production and/or sterilization of liposomes.

In this chapter, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of ScCO2 in producing liposomes with appropriate physicochemical characteristics, as well as in the sterilization of liposomes. Finally, we will demonstrate that ScCO2 offers the possibility of producing and sterilizing liposomes in a one-step process. At the end of the chapter, we will discuss new developments that combine ScCO2 with other innovative production methods.