Clinical translation of advanced colonic drug delivery technologies
Targeted drug delivery to the colon offers a myriad of benefits, including treatment of local diseases, direct access to unique therapeutic targets and the potential for increasing systemic drug bioavailability and efficacy. Although a range of traditional colonic delivery technologies are available, these systems exhibit inconsistent drug release due to physiological variability between and within individuals, which may be further exacerbated by underlying disease states.
In recent years, significant translational and commercial advances have been made with the introduction of new technologies that incorporate multi-stimuli independent release mechanisms (pH or microbiota-dependent release). Harnessing these advanced technologies offers new possibilities for drug delivery via the colon, including the delivery of biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, nutrients, and microbiome therapeutics for treatment of both local and systemic diseases.
This review details the latest advances in colonic drug delivery with an emphasis on emerging therapeutic opportunities and clinical technology translation.
Article information: Atheer Awad, Christine M. Madla, Laura E. McCoubrey, Fabiana Ferraro, Francesca K.H. Gavins, Asma Buanz, Simon Gaisford, Mine Orlu, Florence Siepmann, Juergen Siepmann, Abdul W. Basit, Clinical translation of advanced colonic drug delivery technologies, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2021.114076.