Paclitaxel is an anticancer drug approved for treatment of a wide range of cancers. Due to its low solubility and poor permeability across the gastrointestinal barrier it is administered in an injectable micellar formulation (Taxol ® ). Cremophor EL, which is an excipient in this marketed formulation, can cause hypersensitivity reactions and requires premedication of patients. The study was envisaged to prepare a non-toxic stable dosage form for the drug that could be orally administered to

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... ove patient compliance. The biodegradable biocompatible polymer PLGA was cast into nanospheres that could physically entrap paclitaxel and deliver it preferentially to cancerous tissues. A cationic surfactant was used as stabiliser to prepare positively charged nanoparticles by employing the process of emulsification-solvent diffusion-evaporation. The prepared formulation was characterized using a gamut of techniques and a freeze-dried product was developed. It was subjected to in vitro cell culture studies to establish the safety of the delivery system and efficacy of paclitaxel. Since the drug is a substrate of efflux pumps that contribute to