ALZET Osmotic Pumps -
A Brief History
ALZET Osmotic Pumps were developed during the 1970's by ALZA Corporation. They were initially developed for use during internal company research, and for use by some of ALZA's collaborators working at academic institutions. It did not take long for the word to spread about the existence of a novel drug delivery system that allowed for continuous administration of test agents into laboratory animals. The increasing demand for a commercially available continuous drug delivery device for animal research led to the introduction of ALZET pumps into the marketplace in 1977.
In April of 2000, the ALZET product line was acquired by DURECT Corporation. DURECT Corporation was founded in 1998 by several individuals, including Dr. Felix Theeuwes, an inventor of the ALZET pump and formerly Chief Scientist and President of Research and Development at ALZA. DURECT's mission is to develop therapies that will improve the quality of life for patients with chronic, debilitating diseases and conditions. To accomplish this goal, DURECT offers a broad range of innovative drug delivery systems that are an essential element to any new controlled-release drug product. DURECT offers sustained release technology platforms that provide delivery of therapeutic candidates from days to years based on the specific therapeutic needs.
Additional information about DURECT and our various drug delivery platforms can be found at www.durect.com.
Mailing Address:
DURECT Corporation
ALZET Osmotic Pumps
PO Box 530
Cupertino, CA 95015-0530
Looking for references? We can help!
ALZET will perform a custom bibliography search for you! ALZET pumps have been used to deliver hundreds of different compounds, including proteins and peptides, in a myriad of different experimental applications. We have recently updated our database, which now contains over 12,000 references that can help you guide your research project!
Pump Advantages
- Ensure around-the-clock exposure to test agents at predictable levels
- Permit continuous administration of short half-life proteins and peptides
- Provide a convenient method for the chronic dosing of laboratory animals
- Minimize unwanted experimental variables and ensure reproducible, consistent results
- Eliminate the need for nighttime or weekend dosing
- Reduce handling and stress to laboratory animals
- Small enough for use in mice or very young rats
- Allow for targeted delivery of agents to virtually any tissue
- Cost-effective research tool