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Review
. 2015 Aug;16(4):731-41.
doi: 10.1208/s12249-015-0350-9. Epub 2015 Jun 13.

Colon-targeted oral drug delivery systems: design trends and approaches

Seth Amidon  1 , Jack E Brown, Vivek S Dave
Affiliations
Review

Colon-targeted oral drug delivery systems: design trends and approaches

Seth Amidon et al. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2015 Aug.

Abstract

Colon-specific drug delivery systems (CDDS) are desirable for the treatment of a range of local diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pancreatitis, and colonic cancer. In addition, the colon can be a potential site for the systemic absorption of several drugs to treat non-colonic conditions. Drugs such as proteins and peptides that are known to degrade in the extreme gastric pH, if delivered to the colon intact, can be systemically absorbed by colonic mucosa. In order to achieve effective therapeutic outcomes, it is imperative that the designed delivery system specifically targets the drugs into the colon. Several formulation approaches have been explored in the development colon-targeted drug delivery systems. These approaches involve the use of formulation components that interact with one or more aspects of gastrointestinal (GI) physiology, such as the difference in the pH along the GI tract, the presence of colonic microflora, and enzymes, to achieve colon targeting. This article highlights the factors influencing colon-specific drug delivery and colonic bioavailability, and the limitations associated with CDDS. Further, the review provides a systematic discussion of various conventional, as well as relatively newer formulation approaches/technologies currently being utilized for the development of CDDS.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic representation of the cross-section of the enteric-coated colon-targeted drug delivery system
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Schematic representation of the cross-section of the OROS-CT colon-targeted drug delivery system
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Schematic representation of the mechanism of the pulsincap colon-targeted drug delivery system
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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