Drug Delivery

Integrating the clinical and engineering aspects of drug delivery, this book offers a much needed comprehensive overview and patient-oriented approach for enhanced drug delivery optimization and advancement. Starting with an introduction to the subject and pharmacokinetics, it explores advances for such topics as oral, gastroretentive, intravitreal, and intrathecal drug delivery, as well as insulin delivery, gene delivery, and biomaterials-based delivery systems. It also describes drug delivery in cancer, cardiac, infectious diseases, airway diseases, and obstetrics and gynecology applications. Examining special clinical states requiring innovative drug delivery modifications, such as hypercoagulability often seen in pregnancy, cancer, and autoimmune diseases, the book also discusses methods for improved drug delivery in clinical settings using clinical end points, clinical trials, simulations, and other venues. It also describes the latest drug delivery advances involving nanomaterials, NEMS and MEMS devices, hydrogels, microencapsulation, lipids, stem cells, patches, and ultrasound. The book is rounded out by a chapter on the FDA regulatory and bioethical challenges involved in advancing drug delivery.