Oral Colon-Specific Drug Delivery

Book excerpt: Oral Colon-Specific Drug Delivery covers approaches used to deliver a variety of drugs to the colon. Anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal tract as it affects colonic drug delivery and pharmacokinetics are reviewed, as well as drug absorption from the colon. The book presents valuable information on a variety of topics, including oral peptide/protein delivery, dextran-based delivery systems, glycoside/glycosidase-based delivery, azo-bond prodrugs, hydroxypropyl methacrylamide copolymers for colonic delivery, and matrices for colonic drug delivery. Special emphasis is placed on delivery systems, especially biochemical approaches to delivery, such as the use of degradable polymers and both low and high molecular weight prodrugs. Oral Colon-Specific Drug Delivery will provide a valuable reference resource for gastroenterologists, pharmaceutical scientists, and other researchers working with drug delivery to the colon.