Advances in Mucoadhesive Polymers and Formulations for Transmucosal Drug Delivery

Book excerpt: Mucoadhesive polymers are widely used in the design of dosage forms for transmucosal drug delivery to the eye, respiratory, gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts. These routes of drug administration offer a number of advantages including improved drug bioavailability, reduced frequency of administration, and the avoidance for the use of injections. This book represents a collection of reviews and original research articles in the area of mucoadhesive polymers and dosage forms. It covers the design of mucoadhesive forms from commercially-available water-soluble polymers, their mixture and complexes as well as some materials, whose mucoadhesive properties were enhanced through chemical modification. With contributions from leading experts in mucoadhesive polymers and formulations, this book will be a very useful source of information for researchers in polymer, pharmaceutical and formulation sciences.