Article
Article
Drug delivery system
Article By:
Saltzman, W. Mark Department of Chemical Engineering, G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Torchilin, Vladimir P. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts.
Last reviewed:April 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.757275
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- Drug delivery systems, published June 2014:Download PDF
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A system that delivers controlled amounts of a therapeutic agent over a prolonged period or in a desirable temporal fashion, thereby maintaining required plasma or tissue drug levels. Drug delivery systems are bioengineered mechanisms or devices used for drug administration, especially for the targeted delivery or controlled release of therapeutic formulations. Controlled drug delivery systems can take a variety of forms, including mechanical pumps, polymer matrices or microparticulates, and externally applied transdermal patches (Fig. 1). The development of systems requires the coordinated effort of engineers, physicians, surgeons, chemists, and biologists. See also: Biomedical engineering; Medicine; Pharmacology
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