Research Activities
Special Projects
The focus of Special Projects is to develop novel linker technology and its application in creating novel prodrug compositions. Prodrugs are pharmacologically inactive derivatives of active drugs and can be converted into the active parent drug(s) in vivo either by chemical and/ or enzymatic reactions. Our objectives are to:
- Increase efficacy
- Reduce toxicity and adverse effects
- Enhance bioavailability
- Improve physicochemical properties
- Extend the duration of action via sustained/ controlled release and achieve targeted drug delivery
Our primary objective has been to design, synthesize, and evaluate:
- Water-soluble prodrugs of many important but highly insoluble drugs
- Drugs that have shown synergy in combination therapy
- Nitric oxide-releasing prodrugs
Nitric oxide-releasing prodrugs of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NO-NSAIDs) including COX2 selective inhibitors, are among the most widely used drugs for pain and inflammatory disorders. However, these drugs produce significant side effects in the gastrointestinal and cardiorenal systems that greatly limit their usefulness. NO-NSAIDs, a new type of anti-inflammatory agents, have significant advantage over conventional as well as COX-2 selective NSAIDs. The development of physiological NO-donors or NO scavengers is expected to show beneficial effects and show balanced inhibition of the two isoforms of COX along with controlled release of nitric oxide resulting in comparable anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity but devoid of side effects. Therefore, NO-NSAIDs can be considered as potentially safe alternatives to traditional NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors. We are also developing novel prodrugs against cardiovascular, CNS, anti-infective, and anti-cancer.