Handbook of Biodegradable Polymers, the seventh volume in the Drug Delivery and Targeting book series, provides a source manual for synthetic procedures, properties and applications of bioerodible polymers. The authors describe widely available materials such as polyactides, collagen and gelatin, as well as polymers of emerging importance, such as the genetically-engineered and elastin-based polymers which are either proprietary or in early stages of development. Section I addresses synthetic absorbable polymers, and Section 2 profiles natural, semi-synthetic and biosynthetic polymers....

This book focuses on biodegradable polymers that are already in clinical use or under clinical development. Synthetic and natural polymers will be included. This excludes polymers that have been investigated and did not reach clinical development.

The purpose of this book is to provide updated status of the polymers that are clinical use and those that are now being developed for clinical use and hopefully will reach the clinic during the next 5 years. The book provides information that of interest to academics and practicing researchers including chemists, biologists and...

The concept of focal controlled drug delivery has been applied for treating illnesses that are localized to a certain tissue or organ. These delivery systems are applied directly to the diseased site and deliver a desired dose for an extended time period while minimizing systemic distribution of toxic drug. Controlled drug delivery systems have been focused on oral extended release formulations and on systemic delivery of small drugs and peptides. Despite the upsurge of interest in focal targeted drug delivery, there is currently no single reference text on the subject. By comparison, there...