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Science & technology | Drug delivery MADE TO ORDER MAKING MEDICINE IN THE PART OF THE BODY THAT NEEDS IT MAY SOON BE POSSIBLE DEVISING effective drugs is only half the battle faced by

pharmaceutical companies. The other half is delivering them to the place in the body they are needed. Pills and potions are easy to pop, but they must then run the gauntlet of the

gastrointestinal tract, with its hostile acids and enzymes. Injections bypass that difficulty, but they are unpleasant for the patient and, if they have to be carried out repeatedly, can be

damaging. Skin patches and nasal sprays are alternatives for some medicines. But all these methods share a problem. The drug is generally being given to the entire body, when it is actually

wanted in only one, specific place. This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Made to order” ------------------------- SCIENCE

& TECHNOLOGY July 14th 2012 * →A voyage of discovery * →Tall, dark and stable * →Made to order * →Making tracks * →Under the mistletoe FROM THE JULY 14TH 2012 EDITION Discover stories

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