Pure drug nanomedicines - where we are?

Pure drug nanomedicines (PDNs) comprise active ingredients, including macromolecule, biological, and functional ones. They bypass the research barriers and conversion threshold of nanocarriers and have high load capacity, synergistic treatment and green production. In this review, we reviewed the latest progress of PDNs in the essential components, design theories, manufacturing techniques, etc. The physicochemical properties and in vivo behaviors of PDNs were analyzed to understand their systematic properties in depth. This review introduced currently approved PDN products and further discussed the opportunities and challenges for promoting the depth and breadth of its application. Drug nanocrystals, drug-drug cocrystals (DDCs), antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and nanobodies represented PDNs' successful commercialization and wide application in multiple disease fields. The self-assembled pure drug nanoparticles (SAPDNPs), a next-generation product, still need extensive translation research. Barriers from laboratory to mass production and conversion threshold from laboratory to clinical application still exist.