Prodrugs and Targeted Delivery

This topical reference and handbook addresses the chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and the patentability of prodrugs, perfectly mirroring the integrated approach prevalent in today's drug design. By definition, drugs are highly active substances that are beneficial if they act at the right time and in the right place, but can cause harm otherwise. A clever strategy to ensure that a drug only becomes active when needed is to "camouflage" it. Such camouflaged, i.e. deactivated, drugs that become chemically or biochemically activated once they reach their site of action are called prodrugs. This topical reference and handbook addresses the chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and the patentability of prodrugs, perfectly mirroring the integrated approach prevalent in today's drug design. It summarizes current experiences and strategies, beginning at the early stages of the development process, while also discussing organ- and site-selective prodrugs. From the contents: * Prodrug design and intellectual property * Prodrugs addressing ADMET issues * Codrugs and soft drugs * Preclinical and clinical consideration for prodrugs This book is a valuable reference for all companies employing medicinal chemists by giving a practice-oriented overview of a key strategy in modern drug discovery and development. This topical reference and handbook addresses the chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and the patentability of prodrugs, perfectly mirroring the integrated approach prevalent in today's drug design. It summarizes current experiences and strategies for the rational design of prodrugs, beginning at the early stages of the development process, as well as discussing organ- and site-selective prodrugs. Every company employing medicinal chemists will be interested in this practice-oriented overview of a key strategy in modern drug discovery and development.