New and improved veterinary drug delivery technologies are increasingly used
to gain a competitive advantage by adding value to established active ingredients
and prolonging their shelf life.
This report discusses the latest technologies and most recent developments in
the field of veterinary drug delivery. It also identifies the avenues of research
of greatest potential to animal health and drug delivery companies. In addition
to technical and market information on veterinary drug delivery, this report contains
a directory of companies active in the field of drug delivery technology research.
The report will be of interest to both specialist drug delivery companies and
veterinary pharmaceutical companies who wish to:
Keep up-to-date on the latest technological advances
Identify R&D collaboration partners
Develop methods of improving the efficacy of their pharmaceutical products
Gain a competitive advantage through the use of improved drug delivery technologies.
Order this report now!
Contents:
Chapter 1 Market structure and opportunities
Chapter 2 Company strategy and drug delivery
Chapter 3 Delivery mechanisms in the major product sectors
Chapter 4 Current research in drug delivery
Chapter 5 Company profiles
Chapter 6 Company directory A-Z
Drug delivery can be defined as a pharmacological process involving the controlled
release of an active agent over a predetermined time. In the human medical field,
drug delivery technology usually refers to a pharmaceutical modification of a
compound to alter the pharmacokinetic, or pharmacodynamic, properties of the formulated
product. However, in the veterinary field, the definition of drug delivery systems
is somewhat broader and includes devices used to introduce therapeutic agents
into the body.
The core function of a drug delivery technology is to maximise the effectiveness
of the drug. However, new drug delivery technologies are a key method of extending
the life cycle of established products and increasing the return on investment
made on original molecules. It may be possible to use a new delivery method to
prolong patent protection, and by offering the user potential benefits in terms
of easier administration or long lasting effect, drug delivery can provide unique
selling points for marketing departments to build into promotional campaigns.
The market for veterinary drugs is much smaller than the human counterpart, and
it is not surprising, therefore, that most of the companies active in the field
of drug delivery are primarily interested in human medicine. However, the field
of drug delivery technology for veterinary products provides opportunities for
ingenuity and imaginative design in areas that are unavailable in the human pharmaceutical
field. For example, there are a number of routes of administration for therapeutic
compounds which are either inappropriate in man, such as an intra-ruminal bolus,
or which might be unacceptable on cosmetic or aesthetic grounds, eg pour-on anti-parasitics
or ear tags. Notwithstanding such limitations, in the past there have been many
instances of advances in drug delivery for human health being utilised directly
in animal medicine or where technologies have overlapped both fields. Good examples
include vaccine adjuvants, injectable formulations, tablet and capsule technology,
volatile anaesthetics, nebulisers and even subcutaneous hormone implants.
