Drug Delivery (Das)

Question 1

Drug delivery is a multifaceted field, what are these primary facets? (3)

Answer 1

1) Drug Properties (solubility, physicostability)
2) Drug Delivery Mechanism (Oral, transdermal…)
3) Drug formulation (Blending, milling, grinding…)

Question 2

What does an estimated cost chart look like for the development of a drug?

Answer 2

Typically, the development period is about 9-10 years of R&D, and the cost incurred looks exponential

Question 3

What major factors affect the drug delivery method?

Answer 3

1. The commercial goal
2. Research/Advances in the field
3. Target Validation in Animal Models
4. Pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism
5. preparation/formulation of the drug
6. engineering methods for drug delivery

Question 4

Explain the general drug permeation profile including reference to lag time

Answer 4

• Permeation rate starts of slow and grows exponentially reaching a steady state.
• Taking the gradient from steady state and extrapolating to x-axis, the time from t=0 to the intercept is lag time.

Question 5

Explain the profile of drug concentration in blood, of a single and multiple dose

Answer 5

• Therapeutic window (ineffective region, and toxic level)
• shapes

Question 6

What are the different release systems?
and explain the graph profiles for each

Answer 6

• Controlled
• Prolonged
• Regular Single dose