ABSTRACT

Selection of candidates for codrug designing is from same or different therapeutic categories. Similarly, the constituents of codrug can act on the same or different biological targets with similar or different mechanism of action. Benorylate is a gastrosparing analgesic codrug of aspirin and paracetamol tethered via ester linkage. Intention behind development of a codrug is to improve therapeutic efficacy of drug by manipulating physicochemical properties of drug. Codrug is successful approach to improve physicochemical properties as per needed bioactivity. Codrug concept has been used widely to overcome pharmaceutical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drawbacks of drugs prescribed for the management of rheumatoid arthritis. The codrug exhibited quick onset, improved antiarthritic effect with minimized ulcerogenic potential when screened in collagenase type-II-induced osteoarthritis in Wistar rats. Codrugs that undergoes bioactivation under hypoxic condition to release active drugs are hypoxia-activated prodrugs. Codrug or mutual prodrug approach provides a multifaceted roadmap to tackle defects of clinically feasible or accepted drugs.