ProStrakan's drug conjugate technology is focused upon improving the performance of drugs given by mouth. While oral administration is a very practical and convenient way to take drugs, its use may be limited by:

• poor drug absorption from the gut meaning that high doses must be taken

• rapid destruction by gut or liver enzymes which also demands high doses to be ingested

• unacceptable side effects due to the drug stimulating gut or liver receptors in addition to those at its desired site of action1.

ProStrakan's drug conjugate technology seeks to overcome these drawbacks by combining (conjugating) drugs with sugar molecules. This renders many drugs more soluble and hence more readily absorbed from the gut. In addition, the drug conjugate molecule is less likely to be 'recognised' by gut and liver enzymes which would otherwise destroy the drug itself. Similarly, the drug conjugate molecule is less likely to be recognised by receptors outside its tissue site of action, thereby diminishing the risk of unwanted side effects.

This means that ProStrakan's drug conjugate technology could provide greater therapeutic efficacy at lower doses and with less potential for side effects than with present forms of oral drug therapy. Clearly, such attributes have applications spanning a vast array of clinical settings.

ProStrakan's first applications of this technology are in the fields of androgen and estrogen hormone replacement therapy, huge global markets where there is a clear need for safer oral delivery. However, the company also intends to extend the development of its drug conjugate technology to several other promising clinical areas.

1.         Han H.K. et al. Targeted prodrug design to optimize drug delivery. 2000. 2 (1): E6.