Polymer-based drug delivery systems: A bibliometric analysis

Objective: The aim of this study was to provide researchers in the medical field with information about leaders, collaborations, and trends in the field of polymer-based drug delivery systems (DDS) using bibliometric analysis. Methods: a three-step process were followed: (1) data identification using PubMed. English papers published during the last five years (2018-2022) were included. (2) Data extraction and cleansing. (3) Data analysis based on publication-related metrics and science mapping using VOSviewer. Results: A total of 1532 papers related to polymers in DDS were included. With 476 papers, China was the greatest contributor to this field as a source country. Kannan RM, by working on DDS in ocular and neurodegenerative diseases,was the most influential author in this field. Surprisingly, collaboration among organizations and countries were limited. Regarding key concepts, cancer and antineoplastic drugs have been extensively studied using various types of polymeric systems. Conclusion: By uncovering key concepts related to polymer-based DDS, our results can provide researchers with ideas for investigation and help them position their contributions to the field.