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Totally implantable drug delivery devices have been shown to be safe and effective in the delivery of drugs both systemically and regionally. Applications have been developed for continuous infusions of drugs and are currently being developed for variable flow rates with more sophisticated programmable pumps. Some of the potential benefits of such devices include improved drug efficacy with reduced systemic toxicities, more controlled dosing of drugs, improved quality of life, delivery of proteins and peptides, and individualized patient dosing. The potential exists for creating biofeedback closed loop therapies for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and some central nervous system diseases in the future.
Johnston et al. (1988) studied this question.