Targeting technologies--recent patent literature

The patent literature is rich with information about ideas and approaches related to targeted drug delivery. Although there is a typically a delay in the release of this information compared to that published in journal articles, some of the subject matter of patent applications is never released through any other medium and the breadth of anticipated uses is described best in the patent literature. As with any form of information, the patent literature can only provide an historical perspective of what has already occurred. However, the trends of this literature clearly points to the possibilities for the future in drug targeting.