Controlled Drug Delivery : Innowiki

Controlled drug delivery is a simpler and more convenient way to slowly release drugs than taking low-dose pills or injections at frequent intervals. Additionally, it also lowers the risk of incorrect dosage.

Zaffaroni invented controlled (slow) release drugs, mimicking the way the body releases hormones. Eventually, he created many pharma companies that went on to sell various slow-release drugs.

Zaffaroni improved his slow drug delivery by inventing the transdermal patch, founding a company ALZA for that innovation alone. Significantly, in 2001, ALZA sold to Johnson & Johnson for $10 billion.

Other Zaffaroni controlled drug delivery use cases include drugs to treat glaucoma, non-insulin dependent diabetes, chronic pain, nausea and motion sickness, and nicotine addiction. A skin patch, that looks like adhesive tape, delivers the drugs.

Random Posts

Camcorder
The camcorder combined a camera and videotape player into one handheld unit. It made moviemaking exponentially easier and less expensive, opening the field to countless new auteurs. Background The first video making system offered for the home was by Ampex. Advertised in the 1963 Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog it cost $30,000 ($247,201 adjusted to 2018) … Continue reading "Camcorder"
Electronic Maps – Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Electronic maps simplify planning and routing. They lower the cost of transportation by sharply reducing the cost of getting lost. Furthermore, they allow optimization of store and advertisement placement. The reason Starbuck’s always seems to be “on the way” is due to the use of GIS. Dangermond found Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) in 1969 … Continue reading "Electronic Maps – Geographic Information Systems (GIS)"
Index Investment Funds
“Don’t look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack!” Index investment funds are simpler and vastly less expensive than individual stock picking. Firms mimic index funds which, themselves, are created to mimic market strength. Not only do 85 percent of hedge fund managers trail returns in the S&P 500 but also they … Continue reading "Index Investment Funds"
Superstore, v2 (Walmart)
In 1962, the median lifespan of a US man was 67 years old. Arkansas, with 1.79 million residents, had the 33rd lowest GDP in the United States, $3.8 billion. That year, Sam Walton, at age 44, opened a new type of store in his hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas, naming it Walmart. Walton’s strategy was to … Continue reading "Superstore, v2 (Walmart)"
Sewing Machine
Background In 1829 Thimonnier, a French tailor, innovated the sewing machine. Thimonnier found financiers to build a factory to help commercialize his new machine but workers – fearful the new machine would destroy their livelihood – burnt down the factory. He obtained further patents on better models of sewing machines and won prizes. However, he … Continue reading "Sewing Machine"
Pneumatic Hammer (Jackhammer)
1871 As the US and Europe quickly built ever-larger cities and railroads they needed equipment to manipulate the earth at a large scale. The jackhammer is one of these innovations. The jackhammer vastly lowered the cost of blasting rocks and coal. Before the jackhammer men used hammers to blast away at rocks, breaking big rocks … Continue reading "Pneumatic Hammer (Jackhammer)"
Fast Food
McDonald’s primary innovation is that food should be ready instantly. No sooner does a customer order than food appears. Individual restaurant orders, individually prepared was the norm for non-buffet restaurants before McDonald’s. In 1937, the McDonald brothers created their iconic restaurant and built several stores. Eventually, Ray Kroc was a 52-year-old milkshake machine salesman who … Continue reading "Fast Food"
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology increases productivity and decreases cost by alleviating the need for humans to type printed information into computers. It also reduces the risk of typos. David Shepherd’s OCR machine was used in few places. Most notably, Reader’s Digest used it to manage subscription information, transforming printed material to punch cards. Other … Continue reading "Optical Character Recognition (OCR)"
No-Till Farming
No-till farming is an agricultural process where crops are planted over the prior crop without tilling. Background Since ancient times, farmers believed in the necessity of turning over the soil before planting. Shovels or plows turned over the prior crop, exposing the soil the next crop. Their belief was based on the idea that agricultural … Continue reading "No-Till Farming"
Open Source Software
Open-source software allows anybody interested to see and contribute to the creation of software, including the ability to spot bugs or security flaws. Dashiki wearing wild-eyed (and hair) Richard Stallman is the father of open-source. Richard Stallman Stallman’s theory is more eyes reduce the risk of quality problems. Consequently, people vote or reject changes to … Continue reading "Open Source Software"
Wireless Remote Control
1898 Nikola Tesla Only four years after the invention of radio and over a decade before voice was transmitted over radio, Nikola Tesla invented the remote control. In 1898, he demonstrated his remote control with a radio-controlled boat at an exhibition in Madison Square Garden. Realizing that people would not understand the idea of a … Continue reading "Wireless Remote Control"
Color Movies
Though not the first color movie, The Wizard of Oz left an indelible mark. Swapping from the old world of black and white to color the world flew over the rainbow. Movies have never been the same since. Kalmus, an MIT alum, created a process for color movies and ramped up a company, Technicolor. Initially, … Continue reading "Color Movies"
The Role of Education in Automation Tech
Part I, “Automation Armageddon: a Legitimate Worry?” reviewed the history of automation, focused on projections of gloom-and-doom. Part II, “Automation: Robots in Real Life” reviewed how robots are ubiquitous and create jobs. My first real job was creating a print estimating and production control system for five print plants scattered around the US. Each had … Continue reading "The Role of Education in Automation Tech"
Blue Ocean Strategy Basics – Value Innovation
An introduction to the core of blue ocean strategy Blue Ocean Strategy is a strategic framework and the name of a bestselling 2005 book written by Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne published by Harvard Business Review. The book is based on a series of articles published in Harvard Business Review starting in the 1990s. This … Continue reading "Blue Ocean Strategy Basics – Value Innovation"
Time-Sharing/Multitasking Computer
Early Computers Early computers stored programs and data on punch cards. Most cards contained 80-characters, which is why early terminal programs were typically 80-characters per line. Punch cards are exactly what they sound like, physical cards. Each card is one line of a computer program or one piece of data. As users typed, a machine … Continue reading "Time-Sharing/Multitasking Computer"

Share this:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply