Authors: Emo Chiellini, Raphael M. Ottenbrite
The utilization of
polymers in medicine has become a reality in the last decade. This book is a concise presentation of the fundamentals, applications, and methods of optimization of
polymeric drugs and
polymeric drug delivery systems for medicinal purposes. The basic rationale for the use of polymeric drugs and polymer delivery systems is the possibility to alter the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of therapeutic agents so as to maintain an adequate therapeutic environment at the site of disfunction for an extended period of time. The primary objectives for using polymeric drugs and polymeric drug delivery systems are to introduce new and efficient methods of drug administration, to