A UK company has developed a novel, innovative, remote-controlled drug delivery capsule which is set to revolutionise the way in which drugs are developed
Phaeton Research has developed the new technology, called the Enterion capsule, to provide pharmaceutical companies with an important new research tool and a revolutionary new way to study absorption profiles of new drugs in humans.
The Enterion capsule is more effective than established technologies because it provides for rapid and efficient drug delivery where and when required.
The capsule is activated by a radiofrequency signal, which releases a spring-controlled piston - the movement of the piston down the barrel of the capsule initiates a rapid release of the contents into the specified area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Suitable for all drug formulations, the Enterion capsule also has a feedback mechanism which will demonstrate to the operator that the external triggering has been successful. The location of the Enterion capsule within the GI tract can be tracked using the imaging technique of gamma scintigraphy.
The presence of a radiolabel within the drug reservoir allows the visualisation of the drug formulation in the GI tract following activation.
The growth in drug discovery platform technologies such as genomics and proteomics has led to an increase in the number of potential candidate molecules available for development.
For such drugs, the oral route of delivery remains the preferred method of administration.
The information provided by the Enterion capsule can be vital in establishing the extent to which a medication is absorbed from various different regions of the GI tract when given orally.
As a consequence, decisions to accelerate or terminate development of drug candidates can be made on the basis of sound scientific data.
"Many candidate molecules currently being developed have complex chemistry, poor solubility, and limited permeability, which leads to problems of delivering the drugs effectively to patients," commented Ian Wilding, chief executive of Pharmaceutical Profiles, the specialist early clinical development company which has exclusive use of the Enterion capsule for the study of human GI absorption. "The information provide by Enterion will assist in ensuring that rational and effective decisions are made during the early clinical development of candidate molecules."
