Review on Pharmacoscintigraphy
P. V. Kamala Kumari *
Department of Pharmaceutics, Vignan Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Beside VSEZ, Duvvada, Visakhapatnam - 49, India.
S. Anitha
Department of Pharmaceutics, Vignan Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Beside VSEZ, Duvvada, Visakhapatnam - 49, India.
Y. Srinivasa Rao
Department of Pharmaceutics, Vignan Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Beside VSEZ, Duvvada, Visakhapatnam - 49, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Pharmacoscintigraphy is a non-invasive technique for determining the fate of drugs after administration into humans. Collecting valuable information through the pharmacoscintigraphy about absorption and release mechanisms of drugs from formulations, and thus proving to be an invaluable tool in developing newer and more effective formulations. Such studies can be used to determine the behavior of drugs, formulation as well as diagnostic agents that are administered. In this technique, radiolabelled formulations are administered to patients by their intended route of administration. Their transit through the body is monitored using sophisticated imaging cameras. Since the amount of radiotracer that is used is very low, this is a safe, efficient, and accurate method for studying the behavior of drugs in the human body. Preclinical studies of newer drugs have successfully been carried out using the pharmacoscintigraphic technique.
Keywords: Gamma-emitting isotopes, neutron activation, gamma camera, colon targeted.