Drug delivery and biopharmaceutical technology
Top: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) image of skin punctured with a mircroneedle.
Bottom: Topography of skin across the dotted line in the AFM image before and after puncturing.
The primary focus of the research within this theme is to understand and apply underlying scientific principles in the formulation and delivery of small molecules and biopharmaceuticals and in the development and predictive modelling of their absorption.
The group has a particular focus in the following areas:
- Respiratory drug delivery (Prof Robert Price)
- Topical and transdermal drug delivery (Prof Richard Guy, Dr Begoña Delgado-Charro)
- Nail drug delivery (Dr Begoña Delgado-Charro)
- Controlled and sustained delivery of drugs from polymer matrices (Dr Paul De Bank, Dr Ian Blagbrough)
- Protein and peptide drug delivery (Prof Randy Mrsny)
- Predicting oral drug absorption (Dr Nikoletta Fotaki)
- Materials science and the implementation of quality by design (QbD) in pharmaceutical manufacturing (Prof Robert Price)
Members of the drug delivery theme are involved in ReMedDes, a centre where through collaborative research a range of drug delivery problems can be solved for the pharmaceutical industry. The theme’s research is funded by a range of sources including research councils (EPSRC and BBSRC), the US National Institute of Health and by forging strong links with the pharmaceutical industry in the UK and the rest of the world.
Members
- Prof Robert Price (Lead) - Respiratory drug delivery; quality by design; particle engineering; regulatory science; aerosols
- Dr Ian Blagbrough - Medicinal chemistry; natural products; design and synthesis of novel medicines for siRNA delivery; gene therapy; controlled or sustained release through nanofibres
- Dr Paul De Bank – Controlled and extended release of traditional and biopharmaceutical drugs from micro- and nano-scale polymer matrices
- Dr Begoña Delgado-Charro - Transdermal and topical drug delivery; nail drug delivery; non-invasive sampling
- Dr Nikoletta Fotaki - Oral drug delivery; predictive models of absorption and BA (in vitro and in silico); PBPK modelling; IVIVC; formulation development
- Prof Richard Guy - Topical and transdermal drug delivery; non-invasive biosensing across skin; predictive models of topical and transdermal bioavailability
- Prof Randy Mrsny - Subcutaneous injection site characterization; cell-targeted uptake pathways for drugs; regulations of paracellular transport pathway; mechanisms of transcytosis
