IMPLANTABLE DIFFUSION-BASED DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS

 

Market:  Considerable advances have been made in the field of drug delivery technology over the last three decades, resulting in many breakthroughs in clinical medicine. Drug delivery systems in 2006 returned worldwide sales of at least $9.8 billion (Kalorama Information). However, important classes of drugs have yet to benefit from these technological successes. The creation of drug delivery devices that are capable of delivering therapeutic agents that cannot be delivered by any other means, and that do not diminish therapeutic efficacy when given by other means of administration are challenges in this area of research.

Current Problems:  One of the major requirements for an implantable drug delivery device is controlled release of therapeutic agents, especially biological molecules, with continuous delivery over an extended period of time. The goal is to achieve a continuous drug release profile consistent with zero-order kinetics, where the concentration of a drug in the blood remains constant throughout the delivery period. Another significant challenge is to engineer a system that can deliver a drug in a manipulated non-zero order fashion such as a pulsatile, ramp or some other pattern. Devices that can meet these requirements have the potential to improve therapeutic efficacy, diminish potentially life-threatening side effects, improve patient compliance, minimize the intervention of healthcare personnel and reduce the duration of hospital stays.

The Technology: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has available for licensing a novel implantable diffusion-based drug delivery system. The device allows for either passive or non-passive drug flow from reservoirs precisely patterned into chips for subcutaneous implantation. Passive slow release devices are engineered by material type and device design. Non-passive control of dispensing is achieved through addition of deposited electrodes. The combination of design and material choice has resulted in a novel drug delivery device that will allow for continuous slow release of therapeutics into the blood stream or at the target site.  

 

NON-CONFIDENTIAL TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION

The preceding is intended to be a non-confidential summary of a novel technology created at the University of Texas Health Science center at Houston (UTHSCH), for which the University has obtained patent protection. 

UTHSCH Ref. No.

Inventors: M. Ferrari et.al.

Patent Status: Patent Pending, US20070066138A1

License Available: world-wide; exclusive or non-exclusive

 

To obtain further information about this technology, please contact:
Office of Technology Management, 7000 Fannin, Suite 720, Houston, TX 77030
Phone: (713) 500-3369  Fax: (713) 500-0331
Email: uthsch-otm@uth.tmc.edu