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Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery
Nanopharma
has developed a nanoparticle-based
technology to be used as a new
drug-delivery platform for
water-insoluble drugs. The use of nanoparticles enables us to
deliver a commercial drug directly into
the target cell, thereby enhancing
drug effectiveness. Our nanoparticles
also have the ability to insulate
embedded drugs from the external aqueous
environment and therefore protect
sensitive pharmaceutical compounds from enzymatic
damage. We are
currently
undertaking preclinical
studies to assess the safety profile of
this technology.
Drug Delivery Overview
The development of
antibiotics for control of pathogenic bacteria is of pressing need in this era
of drug-resistant infections. Of particular concern are infections caused by
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which are responsible
for clinical complications and thousands of deaths each year in the United
States alone. For MRSA, one of the major challenges is to develop agents which
can stop infections at the site of their initiation, which frequently occur in
regions of the body where water-soluble drugs have poor access. Furthermore,
low-water solubility limits the effectiveness of lipophilic drugs. The ability
to deliver antibacterial drugs to infections in fatty tissue or on the surface
of implanted medical devices, where bio-films often develop, may ultimately
determine whether a given infection can be cleared without surgical
intervention.
Drug delivery vehicles
such as liposomes and nanoparticles offer a promising way to improve
bioavailability, efficacy, and specificity of pharmaceutical compounds,
particularly for anticancer agents. However, these vehicles have received
surprisingly little attention in the antibiotics market.
Our Technology
Our
nanoparticle-based antibiotics, or nanobiotics, serve as a
prototype for a new delivery vehicle and enhancer of activity for
water-insoluble antibiotics.
A unique feature of this
technology is that a single nanoparticle can be built from its constituents in
one step, with the antibiotic agent being covalently attached (rather than
encapsulated) to the nanoparticle without the need for further chemical
modification. The composition of the nanoparticle can also be easily changed by
using other liquid monomers for the polymerization.
In addition to changing the
polymer matrix, different types of antibiotics could readily be introduced into
the nanoparticle via their acrylate derivative.
Advantages of our technology:
-
easy, one-step preparation of polymer
frameworks in aqueous media;
-
ability to incorporate lipophilic and
water-insoluble drugs;
-
potent antibacterial activity as
demonstrated against MRSA and B. anthracis (Anthrax);
-
facile control of particle size and
distribution in the 40-60 nm range;
-
no need for post-assembly modification
of the nanoparticle in order to incorporate the antibiotic.
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