Fundamentals and Applications of Controlled Release Drug Delivery

This volume provides an overview of fundamental principles relating to the science and technology of drug delivery. It approaches the subject from a mechanistic perspective using language that is understandable to those entering the field and who are not familiar with its common phrases or complex terms. It provides a simple encapsulation of concepts and then expands on them as the reader progresses through the book. Once the concepts are laid out, applications to various disease states are described in detail. Drug delivery is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the proper administration of bioactive compounds to achieve a desired clinical response in humans or animals. Drug delivery is beneficial to billions of people (and animals) worldwide and is achieved by designing and developing technologies that modify the temporal and spatial drug release profile, resulting in enhanced product safety and improved patient convenience and compliance. Rational design of a drug delivery technology requires the convergence of many fields of science and engineering.