Patent ID: 7517858

Claim:
A method for enhancing oral bioavailability of a drug, comprising linking the drug to a compound having the structure (I): wherein: R 1 and R 1 ′ are independently —H, —O(C 1 to C 24 )alkyl, —S(C 1 to C 24 )alkyl, —O(C 2 to C 24 )alkenyl, —S(C 2 to C 24 )alkenyl, —CO 2 (C 1 to C 23 )alkyl, —OC(O)(C 2 to C 23 )alkenyl, —OS(O)(C 1 to C 23 )alkyl, —OS(O)(C 2 to C 23 )alkenyl; provided that R 1 and R 1 ′ are not both —H; each of R 2 and R 2 ′ is —H, or R 2 —C—R 2 ′ is C═O; X is CHR 2 ; m is 0 to 6; Y is —H; or when said compound is in the form of a salt, each OY is O − A + , wherein each A + is a physiologically acceptable cation; n is 1 or 2; and L is optional and if present, L is a bifunctional linking moiety of the formula J—(CH 2 ) t -G, wherein t is 1 to 24, and wherein each of J and G is independently selected such that the phosphate moiety is bound directly to the terminal methylene of the linker, and the drug is linked directly to the phosphate moiety of structure (I) or J and G are selected such that the drug is linked indirectly to the phosphate via direct attachment to L via an ester or an amide moiety, thereby enhancing oral bioavailability of the drug.