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H2020Staff exchange2016–2020

FutForm · Future Formulations: Developing Future Pharmaceuticals Through Advanced Analysis and Intersectoral Exchange

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2016-04-01 → 2020-03-31
EU contribution
€414,000
Participants
4
Scheme
MSCA-RISE

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Future Formulations: Developing Future Pharmaceuticals Through Advanced Analysis and Intersectoral Exchange

The desire for cheaper, more effective medicines has led to a demand for approaches that reduce pharmaceutical development times and resources. Recent research within the School of Pharmacy (University of Nottingham (UoN)) has focussed on the application of advanced surface analytical and biophysical tools to address this need. The principal objective of FutForm was to translate the advanced analytical approaches developed within UoN, so that they became embedded into industrial practice for the development of future pharmaceutical processes and therapies. The aim was to achieve this through a collaborative programme of intersectoral researcher secondments with three small-medium enterprise (SME) companies, each with early stage innovative technologies in areas of importance, namely; enzyme formulations for improved cell isolation (Abiel s.r.l; Italy), nanoparticle platform formulations for oral and topical drug delivery (Inovapotek, Pharmaceutical Research and Development Lda; Portugal) and hydrogel formulations for cell-delivery (Hy2Care b.v.; Netherlands). The application of UoN approaches was used to provide new insight into physical properties and structure-activity relationships, to address key developmental requirements for each of the formulations underpinning these technologies. This enabled acquisition of proof-of-concept data and optimization for future applications, including improved cell-based drug-screening and toxicity tests, new formulations for the oral and topical drug delivery and injectable therapies for cartilage repair. The project delivered 83% of the 92 person months of planned secondments and provided inter-sector opportunities for 20 researchers.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The estimated cost of getting a new medicine to market is now in excess of $2.6 billion, with an additional $300 million (approx.) typically being directed towards post market approval research and development activities (including testing of new indications, new formulations and new dosage strengths and regimens) (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 13, 877 (2014)). These costs have increased >145% since 2003, and reflect an increasingly complex process in which there remains a high chance of failure in the expensive later phases of development. With the aim of reducing the times and costs associated with medicine development, increasing attention has focused on the development of approaches to better predict and/or optimize the behaviour of actives and their formulations at an earlier stage of development. Recent research within the School of Pharmacy (University of Nottingham (UoN)) has focussed on the application of advanced surface analytical and biophysical tools to address this need. This proposal will build on this activity via an intersectoral researcher exchange program focussed on supporting future pharmaceutical formulations development.The principal objective of FutForm is to translate the advanced analytical approaches developed within UoN, so that they become embedded into industrial practice for the development of future pharmaceutical processes and therapies. This will be achieved through a collaborative programme of researcher secondments with three small-medium enterprise (SME) companies, each with early stage innovative technologies in areas of importance to the future pharmaceutical industry, namely; enzyme formulations for improved cell isolation (Abiel s.r.l; Italy), nanoparticle platform formulations for oral and topical drug delivery (Inovapotek, Pharmaceutical Research and Development Lda; Portugal) and hydrogel formulations for cell-delivery (Hy2Care b.v.; Netherlands).

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM · NottinghamCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
  • ABIEL SOCIETA A RESPONSABILITA LIMITATA · PalermoItaly
  • HY2CARE BV · GeleenNetherlands
  • INOVAPOTEK, PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LDA · PORTOPortugal

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union