| abstract |
The invention provides compounds of the formula D-DHC]n(I) and the nontoxic pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein D is the residue of a centrally acting drug containing at least one reactive functional group selected from the group consisting of amino, hydroxyl, mercapto, carboxyl, amide and imide, said residue being characterized by the absence of a hydrogen atom from at least one of said reactive functional groups in said drug; n is a positive integer equal to the number of said functional groups from which a hydrogen atom is absent; and [DHC] is the reduced, biooxidizable, bloodbrain barrier penetrating lipoidal form of a dihydropyridine-><-pyridinium salt redox carrier, said carrier comprising a bivalent radical of the formula <IMAGE> wherein the alkylene group can be straight or branched and can contain 1 to 3 carbon atoms; Ro is a radical identical to the corresponding portion of a natural amino acid; and p is 1 or 2, provided that, when p is 2, then the alkylene groups can be the same or different and the R0 radicals can be the same or different; said bivalent radical being so positioned that the terminal carbonyl function of the bivalent radical is linked to the drug residue while the terminal amino function of the bivalent radical is linked to the remaining portion of the carrier moiety. The subject compounds are adapted for the site-specific/sustained delivery of centrally acting drugs to the brain. The corresponding pyridinium salt type drug/carrier entities D-QC+]n qY-t are also disclosed. |