Fabrication and Modelling of a Reservoir-Based Drug Delivery System for Customizable Release

Development of Complex Generics and Similar Biological Products: An Industrial Perspective of Reverse Engineering

Generic drugs are developed to be bioequivalent to innovator formulation, matching them in dosage form, safety, strength, quality and efficacy. Known as "interchangeable multi-source pharmaceutical products," generics play a crucial role in reducing therapeutic costs and enhancing patient compliance. Over the past decade, generics have accounted for more than 90% of prescriptions in the U.S., which has driven down the average price of these drugs to nearly match production costs once market competition grows. Simple generics of small-molecule drugs are often produced through trial and error based on existing data, but complex generics require advanced techniques like reverse engineering to replicate the brand drug's release profile. These complex generics include sophisticated drug delivery forms that ensure the therapeutic agent is released gradually, maximizing effectiveness. Conversely, similar biological products highly similar to approved biologics-undergo rigorous analytical and clinical evaluations due to their complexity and the nature of biologic production. The increased demand for similar biological products is driven by expiring biologic patents, economic incentives, and regulatory advancements, with the market expected to grow significantly by 2026. The Biologic Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) enable abbreviated approvals for similar biological products, promoting affordability. Despite minor differences from original biologics, similar biological products undergo extensive testing to ensure safety and efficacy, following global regulatory guidelines that emphasize strict quality standards. This framework is essential for expanding patient access to effective therapies for conditions like cancer and autoimmune diseases while supporting healthcare sustainability.

Experimental and Modelling Study of Controlled Release from Dextran-Based Cryogels

In this work, five different dextran-based cryogels for controlled drug release are investigated. Vitamin B12 was used as a model drug for in vitro release tests. Two different drug-loading procedures were adopted, leading to very different drug release curves. Indeed, a fast Fickian release was observed when freeze-dried samples of DEX40PEG360MA and DEX40PEG500MA were infused with the drug after cryogel formation. On the contrary, a slowed highly non-Fickian behavior arises when the drug is loaded before the low-temperature crosslinking step, leading to the cryogel formation. The non-Fickian drug release, observed for all the five different dextran-based cryogels investigated, is actually due to the cryoconcentration phenomenon, modeled with a two-step release process. The proposed transport model accurately predicts experimental release curves characterized by a long lag time, confirming that dextran-based cryogels are suitable for controlled release.

Optimizing Microfluidic Channel Design with High-Performance Materials for Safe Neonatal Drug Delivery

INTRODUCTION

Designing the microfluidic channel for neonatal drug delivery requires proper considerations to enhance the efficiency and safety of drug substances when used in neonates. Thus, this research aims to evaluate high-performance materials and optimize the channel design by modeling and simulation using COMSOL multiphysics in order to deliver an optimum flow rate between 0. 3 and 1 mL/hr.

METHOD

Some of the materials used in the study included PDMS, glass, COC, PMMA, PC, TPE, and hydrogels, and the evaluation criterion involved biocompatibility, mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and ease of fabrication. The simulation was carried out in the COMSOL multiphysics platform and demonstrated the fog fluid behavior in different channel geometries, including laminar flow and turbulence. The study then used systematic changes in design parameters with the aim of establishing the best implementation models that can improve the efficiency and reliability of the drug delivery system. The comparison was based mostly on each material and its appropriateness in microfluidic usage, primarily in neonatal drug delivery. The biocompatibility of the developed materials was verified using the literature analysis and adherence to the ISO 10993 standard, thus providing safety for the use of neonatal devices. Tensile strength was included to check the strength of each material to withstand its operation conditions. Chemical resistance was also tested in order to determine the compatibility of the materials with various drugs, and the possibility of fabrication was also taken into consideration to identify appropriate materials that could be used in the rapid manufacturing of the product.

RESULTS

The results we obtained show that PDMS, due to its flexibility and simplicity in simulation coupled with more efficient channel designs which have been extracted from COMSOL, present a feasible solution to neonatal drug delivery.

CONCLUSION

The present comparative study serves as a guide on the choice of materials and design of microfluidic devices to help achieve safer and enhanced drug delivery systems suitable for the delicate reception of fragile neonates.

Emerging frontiers in drug delivery with special focus on novel techniques for targeted therapies

The management and treatment of disease are achieved via the use of pharmacologically active substances or drugs. Drugs do not, however, have an intrinsic ability to be effective; rather, how well they work depends on how they are administered or supplied. Treatment of a variety of biological illnesses, such as autoimmune disorders, cancer, and bacterial infections, requires effective drug delivery. Drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, duration of therapeutic impact, pharmacokinetics, excretion, and toxicity can all be impacted by drug administration. Improved chemistry and materials are required for the delivery of therapeutic concentration of novel treatments to the specified targets within the body, as well as for the necessary duration of time. This requirement is accompanied by the development of new therapeutics. Formulating a medication as a DDS is a promising strategy for directly addressing numerous typical barriers to adherence, such as frequent dosage, such as frequent dosage, side effects, and a delayed beginning of the action. In the current review, we give a compendium of drug delivery and controlled release and subsequently highlight some of the newest developments in the realm, with a particular emphasis on cutting-edge methods for targeted therapy. In each instance, we outline the obstacles to efficient drug administration as well as the chemical and material developments that are allowing the sector to overcome these obstacles and have a positive clinical impact.

Establishment of a Rodent Glioblastoma Partial Resection Model for Chemotherapy by Local Drug Carriers-Sharing Experience

Local drug delivery systems (LDDS) represent a promising therapy strategy concerning the most common and malignant primary brain tumor glioblastoma (GBM). Nevertheless, to date, only a few systems have been clinically applied, and their success is very limited. Still, numerous new LDDS approaches are currently being developed. Here, (partial resection) GBM animal models play a key role, as such models are needed to evaluate the therapy prior to any human application. However, such models are complex to establish, and only a few reports detail the process. Here, we report our results of establishing a partial resection glioma model in rats suitable for evaluating LDDS. C6-bearing Wistar rats and U87MG-spheroids- and patient-derived glioma stem-like cells-bearing athymic rats underwent tumor resection followed by the implantation of an exemplary LDDS. Inoculation, tumor growth, residual tumor tissue, and GBM recurrence were reliably imaged using high-resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The release from an exemplary LDDS was verified in vitro and in vivo using Fluorescence Molecular Tomography. The presented GBM partial resection model appears to be well suited to determine the efficiency of LDDS. By sharing our expertise, we intend to provide a powerful tool for the future testing of these very promising systems, paving their way into clinical application.

Recent Advancements in Metallic Drug-Eluting Implants

Over the past decade, metallic drug-eluting implants have gained significance in orthopedic and dental applications for controlled drug release, specifically for preventing infection associated with implants. Recent studies showed that metallic implants loaded with drugs were substituted for conventional bare metal implants to achieve sustained and controlled drug release, resulting in a desired local therapeutic concentration. A number of secondary features can be provided by the incorporated active molecules, including the promotion of osteoconduction and angiogenesis, the inhibition of bacterial invasion, and the modulation of host body reaction. This paper reviews recent trends in the development of the metallic drug-eluting implants with various drug delivery systems in the past three years. There are various types of drug-eluting implants that have been developed to meet this purpose, depending on the drug or agents that have been loaded on them. These include anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics agents, growth factors, and anti-resorptive drugs.

Electrospun Sulfonatocalix[4]arene Loaded Blended Nanofibers: Process Optimization and In Vitro Studies

In the past decade, electrospun nanofibers made of biodegradable polymers have been used for different biomedical applications due to their flexible features in terms of surface area to volume ratio, pores, and fiber size, as well as their highly tunable surface properties. Recently, interest is growing in the use of supramolecular structures in combination with electrospun nanofibers for the fabrication of bioactive platforms with improved in vitro responses, to be used for innovative therapeutic treatments. Herein, sulfonatocalix[4]arene (SCX4) was synthesized from p-tert-butyl-calix[4]arene and embedded in electrospun nanofibers made of polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin (GEL). The supramolecular structure of SCX4 and its efficient entrapment into electrospun fibers was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy and FTIR analysis, respectively. SEM analysis supported via image analysis enabled the investigation of the fiber morphology at the sub-micrometric scale, showing a drastic reduction in fiber diameters in the presence of SCX4: 267 ± 14 nm (without SCX) to 115 ± 5 nm (3% SCX4). Moreover, it was demonstrated that SCX4 significantly contributes to the hydrophilic properties of the fiber surface, as was confirmed by the reduction in contact angles from 54 ± 1.4° to 31 ± 5.5° as the SCX4 amount increased, while no effects on thermal stability were recognized, as was confirmed by TGA analyses. In vitro tests also confirmed that SCX4 is not cytotoxic, but plays a supporting role in L929 interactions, as was validated by the cell viability of PGC15% after 7 days, with respect to the control. These preliminary but promising data suggest their use for the fabrication of innovative platforms able to bind SCX4 to bioactive compounds and molecules for different therapeutic applications, from molecular recognition to controlled drug delivery.