Aspirin is one of the most widely used drugs in the treatment of
inflammation, pain and fever. It has more recently found application in the prevention of heart attacks and
stroke and is being studied as a
cancer chemopreventative agent. Despite its value
aspirin continues to be underutilized because it causes gastric bleeding. The technology under development potentially removes this problem. It is designed to reduce contact between the
drug and the intestinal lining. An
isosorbide aspirinate
prodrug compound is thus provided. The compound has the general structure as shown in general formula (I) wherein Y is a C1-C8
alkyl ester, a C1-C8 alkoxy ester, a C3-C10 cycloalkyl ester, an arylester, a C1-C8 alkylaryl ester or —C(O)ORring, wherein Rring is a 5-membered aromatic or nonaromatic 5-member ring having at least one
heteroatom substituted for a carbon of the ring
system, which can be unsubstituted or substituted with at least one
nitric oxide releasing group.