Drug Delivery Group
Current Research
Academic Staff
Postgraduate Students and Projects
Current Research (Drug Delivery Group)
The Drug Delivery Group is one of the foremost international academic research teams working on fundamental and applied aspects of the delivery of drugs.
The Group offers frontline research in nanotechnology through particle design and crystal engineering in addition to well established expertise in formulation and pharmaceutical materials science and transdermal drug delivery. Extensive funding for the group has been secured from the Research Councils (in excess of £2M), the Pharmaceutical Industry, the Wellcome Trust, and The Royal Society.
Nanotechnology including particle design and crystal engineering: Professor York and Drs. Forbes, Blagden and Grimsey are at the forefront of particle design and crystal engineering. Their research has benefited from substantial Research Council funding, including Link programmes with BBSRC/DTI/BSP/Univ. College, London, (£364K) and EPSRC/DTI/BSP/bpd /BIRAL, (£574K).
- Particle formation and materials design using supercritical fluids allows control over particle size, shape and habit with potential to generate alternative polymorphic forms. This research has been commercialised in a highly successful spin-off company Bradford Particle design (bpd).
- Supercritical fluid processing has also been used for biomaterials, including proteins, peptides, plasmid DNA, antibodies and vaccines.
Formulation Science: Whilst "formulation science" is an active research area for most of the Drug Delivery Group staff, specific areas of interest include:
- Strategies to improve the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. For example, developing solid dispersion technology and stabilising amorphous and supersaturated systems are themes researched by Professor Williams, Drs Forbes and Grimsey. Targeting the lymphatic uptake of drugs by using lipids is an approach studied by Dr Forbes and Professor York. Manipulating drug melting points through eutectic systems is under examination by Professors Barry, Williams and York.
- The development and use of novel polymeric drug delivery systems is researched by Dr Crowther, in collaboration with other colleagues in the School. This research has led to a second spin-off company from the Drug Delivery Group, Advance Gel Technology (AGT)
- The formulation and stabilisation of protein drugs in oral and inhaled formulations is an established and active research area for Dr Forbes, supported by Professors Barry, Williams and York and Dr Bonner.
Materials Science: As above, most of the Drug Delivery Group contributes to research under the umbrella of pharmaceutical materials science. The group possesses unique high-resolution solid state/surface/particle and mechanical testing apparatus and micro-pre-formulation equipment. Current research programmes include:
- Rationally manipulating crystallisation conditions to allow formulation of specific drug habits and polymorphs. The work, led by Professor Williams, Drs Grimsey and Blagden with Professor York, uses Raman and infrared spectroscopies, turbidity measurements, particle size analysis, x-ray diffractometry (both in-house and at the SRS in Daresbury) and computer modelling.
- The development of inverse gas chromatography for probing surface behaviour of pharmaceutical materials. Led by Dr. Grimsey with Professors York and Rowe, the surface properties of materials are correlated with data from molecular modelling and provide understanding of downstream processing of the materials.
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Transdermal Drug Delivery: Transdermal drug delivery research also embraces many of the above themes and uses the same instrumentation. Many investigations also employ radioactive techniques applied to human skin.. In addition, the group, comprising Professors Barry and Williams and Dr Bonner are currently examining:
- Delivery routes of drugs penetrating skin.
- Novel in situ film formation for controlled and sustained topical therapy.
- Nanoparticulate carriers for transdermal drug delivery (particularly ultradeformable vesicles)
- Iontophoretic and electroporation drug delivery, and combination of these techniques with liposomal carriers.
- The mechanism and role of penetration enhancers in transdermal drug delivery.
- Use of 5-ALA in cancer treatment via photodynamic therapy.
- Transdermal and topical therapy using herbal and "traditional" remedies.
PROFITS (Product formulation using intelligent software) is led by Professors Rowe and York who have established within BSP this research and consultancy unit for industrial companies. The programme is based around artificial intelligence and provides a platform to allow industry more rational approaches to formulate the ever increasing number of potential drug candidates.
Academic Staff (Drug Delivery Group)
Professor B W Barry
Professor R C Rowe
Professor A C Williams
Professor P York
Dr N Blagden
Dr M Bonner
Dr N J Crowther
Dr R T Forbes
Dr I M Grimsey
Current Postgraduates and Projects (Drug Delivery Group)
Asif Ahmed
In-vitro release of drugs from in-situ form films
Professor Brian W Barry/Professor Adrian C Williams
Al-Omrani
Protein encapsulation
Dr Robert Forbes/Dr Mike Bonner
Simon Bristow
Solubility of crystallisation behaviour of acetoninophen and p-acetoxyacetanilide from modified supercritical CO2
Professor Peter York
Rachel Chaffer
The effect of binders in granulation processes and evaluation by torque rheometer
Professor Peter York/Professor Ray C Rowe
Vishal Chikhalia
Crystal engineering to minimise drug disorder in drug formulation
Dr Robert T Forbes
Simon Cooper
The use of supercritical fluids to design and control the particle characteristics of inhaled respiratory compounds
Professor Peter York
Linda Daintree
Enantiomeric resolution using the SEDS project
Professor Peter York
Luciana De Matos
Nucleation and solution precursors in crystal engineering
Dr Nick Blagden/Professor Adrian C Williams
Mokhtar El-Baseir
Transdermal Drug Delivery via Liposomes
Professor Brian W Barry/Professor Adrian C Williams
Improved drug formulation and stabilisation of proteins
Professor Brian W Barry/Dr Robert T Forbes
Ebtessam Essa
Drug targeting through the use of charged liposomes
Professor Brian W Barry/Dr Michael C Bonner
Christopher Fogarty
An investigation of the nature of the interaction between photoreactive compounds and the water soluble polymer polyvinylalcohol
Dr Donald Eagland/Dr Nick J Crowther
Pauline Gavan
Process opportunities for co-crystallisation during milling
Dr Nick Blagden/Dr Ian Grimsey
Albert Hammond
Characterisation of the surface properties of biological molecules formed by supercritical technology
Dr Robert T Forbes/Dr Ian M Grimsey
Wendy Hulse
Crystal engineering of carrier particles for enhanced inhalation
Dr Robert T Forbes/Dr Michael C Bonner
Lynne Johnson
Behaviour of pressure sensitive adhesives
Dr Donald Eagland/Dr Nick J Crowther
Katy Mitchell
Polymeric coating of solid dosage forms
Professor Peter York/Professor Ray C Rowe
Lukman Patel
Investigation of transdermal permeation of 5-aminolevulinic acid
Professor Brian W Barry/Professor Adrian C Williams
Chayya Patel
Improved bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs using eutectic systems
Professor Adrian C Williams
Mohammed Rashid
Electrical enhancement of transdermal drug delivery
Dr Michael C Bonner/Professor Brian W Barry
Clare Rawlinson
Novel formulations for poorly water soluble drugs
Professor Adrian C Williams
Liza Redshaw
Surface characterisation and excipient interactions with tooth enamel
Professor Peter York/Professor Ray C Rowe
Qun Shao
Data Mining in Multicomponent Formulations
Professor Peter York/Professor Raymond C Rowe
Ismaeil Tekko
Delivery and actions of bio-active agents
Dr Adrian C Williams/Dr Michael C Bonner
Claudia Vincenzi
Protein and monoclonal antibody stabilisation and formulation
Dr Robert T Forbes
Simon Wilkins
A comparison of solution enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids with alternative particle size reduction techniques
Professor Peter York
