Targeted Delivery of Small and Macromolecular Drugs

Book excerpt: Site-specific drug delivery and targeting attracts much research interest from both academia and industry, but because of the many challenges faced in the development of these systems, only a handful of targeted therapies have successfully made it into clinical practice. Focusing on the delivery technologies that utilize both systemic and local routes of administration, Targeted Delivery of Small and Macromolecular Drugs brings together field experts who summarize current progress and discuss novel ideas currently being explored to overcome these challenges. The contributors discuss the most promising strategies for drug targeting and also examine targeted drug delivery platforms and technologies at various stages of clinical and preclinical development, including: Active targeting Nucleic acid delivery and targeting Intracellular/organelle-specific strategies Prodrug strategies Organ or tissue-specific drug delivery Drug-polymer conjugates and micelles Stimuli-responsive systems The book demonstrates why targeted delivery is one of the most exciting contributions pharmaceutical sciences can make to drug therapy.