Bespak announces a collaborative research programme with the London School of Pharmacy to discover more efficient ways of delivering medication to the respiratory tract
Bespak and the University of London's School of Pharmacy (SOP) have announced a research programme to study site-specific delivery of antibodies in the respiratory tract.
The programme aims to discover more efficient ways of delivering medication to the respiratory tract, using innovative medical devices developed by Bespak and the formulation expertise of SOP.
Bespak designs and manufactures drug delivery devices such as metered dose inhaler valves, actuators and accessories used to deliver drugs to the nasal cavity and lungs.
More recently, the company has enhanced its delivery expertise to consider how devices can speed efficient drug delivery that will have a systematic impact.
The company will jointly fund the research project with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), providing its expertise in aerosolisation and testing, as well as developing the physical components incorporated in prototype drug delivery devices.
Tol Purewal, Bespak's head of research and development, says the lung and nasal cavity provide many benefits as a drug delivery route.
"By delivering therapeutics to specific regions of the respiratory tract, it's possible to reach highly vascularised membranes that allow for rapid uptake and avoid first-pass metabolism," he added.
"Advances in dose to dose medication consistency are currently being achieved through the employment of single-shot delivery devices and metered dose inhalers with more efficient valves".
Bespak will make advanced test equipment available to SOP to accurately ascertain and analyse device performance.
Bespak and SOP believe that the programme offers the potential to significantly advance the effectiveness of inhaled antibodies.
Professor Oya Alpar, SOP's head of centre for drug delivery research, anticipates the success of the research partnership will significantly advance efficiencies in drug delivery systems.
"The identification of highly specific molecular targets", she explains, "has unearthed a striking variety of potentially ground-breaking vaccines and therapies.
"The key to their realisation is the successful delivery of these innovative biotherapeutics to the right tissues.
"By bringing the concept of molecular science into pharmaceutics and formulation science, and following a multidisciplinary approach which will encompass all aspects of inhalational therapy, we can engineer delivery systems that meet the requirements of these new molecules, including biodefence antibodies."
