One dose or two? The use of polymers in drug delivery |
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| Authors: | Clare E Upton Catherine A Kelly Kevin M Shakesheff Steven M Howdle |
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| Affiliation: | 1. School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK;2. School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK;3. School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UKSchool of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK |
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| Abstract: | Controlled‐release delivery systems are designed to prolong the release of drugs within the body. They consist of drug molecules encapsulated within biodegradable polymers which degrade safely into small, non‐toxic fragments, resulting in the release of the drug. Because different polymers have different degradation times, the system can be tailored to achieve the desired release rate and this can be very useful in treatments where daily dosing is required, such as epilepsy. Despite this obvious advantage, there are problems with this type of delivery, including an increased risk of overdosing. This article examines the pros and cons of controlled‐release drug‐delivery systems. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry |
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| Keywords: | controlled release polymer drug delivery microparticle |
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