THE CO-DRUG STRATEGY FOR METABOLIC DISEASES AND COMORBIDITY MANAGEMENT: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW.

A drug design strategy called a codrug or mutual prodrug binds two or more pharmacophore with similar or different pharmacological activities elicit synergistic action or help to target the parent drug to specific site/organ/cells respectively and to improve physicochemical, biopharmaceutical and drug delivery properties of therapeutic agents. This review presents various codrug design approach, objectives, properties and therapeutic approach in a methodical manner. Codrugs offer a promising approach in pharmaceutical research, combining multiple active compounds into one molecule to improve drug efficacy and minimize side effects. They can be tailored for specific tissues or organs, making them effective in treating CNS, cardiovascular, cancerous, inflammatory, infectious and comorbid disorders. By enhancing drug delivery through increased lipophilicity, codrugs provide targeted therapy and better outcomes across various medical conditions. Since the 2000s, mutual prodrugs and codrugs have been recognized as potential treatments for a range of illnesses. This approach is commonly used to improve physicochemical, biopharmaceutical and drug delivery properties of therapeutic agents. Additional clinical trial profiles will help expand the scope of codrug therapy. Care must be taken to maximise the positive effects of codrugs while minimising their negative side effects and toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]