Rapid advances in drug discovery have led to the identification of a number of compounds with good therapeutic potential.

The use of PVA copolymer-based film can solve the problems associated with lack of film adhesion... to tablets containing large amounts of waxy excipient or a lubricant.

Different chemistries and viscosities of HPMC can be combined to modulate release profile and, in some cases, result in a more robust formulation.

As counterfeiters become more cunning and technologically advanced, spotting their handiwork is increasingly difficult. Can surface analysis techniques be used to outwit them?

Nasal drug delivery depends on many factors, including the conditions of use by the patient, the drug formulation, and the spray pump and aerosol characteristics. In recent years, the types of drug administered via the nasal route have expanded from locally acting drugs, such as those for allergic rhinitis, to delicate molecules for systemic activity, such as vaccines, proteins and peptides, which can be difficult to administer noninvasively. While the nasal cavity provides a delivery pathway for these large molecules, the rate of mucociliary clearance in the nasal cavity may hinder the extent of absorption. Therefore, formulators must develop mechanisms that improve absorption for high molecular weight compounds.

When drugs are encapsulated, electrification (the electrostatic charge of the capsule) may sometimes cause problems, such as capsule adhesion during transportation or dispersion of the capsule content in the filling process.

Our company is involved in developing and manufacturing APIs that can be utilized with drug-eluting stents (DES). Despite ensuring constancy in pharmaceutical composition, we are experiencing issues with variations in drug release during in vitro studies. We are working closely with a stent manufacturer to develop the system, but could surface analysis techniques investigate the problem further?

Spraying techniques can be used to produce powder form formulations. The concept works by the adsorption/absorption of a liquid SELF onto a neutral carrier…

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) forms an interface between the circulating blood and the brain, and functions as a tremendously effective barrier for the delivery of potential neurotherapeutics into the brain parenchyma. Conversely, the BBB possesses various carrier-mediated transport systems for the uptake of small molecules, such as essential nutrients and vitamins. These transporters have become an attractive target for drug/prodrug design in an attempt to ferry drug molecules across the BBB. Central nervous system (CNS) drug delivery is often limited by poor brain penetration of the potential drug candidate. As a result of its unique barrier properties, the BBB poses a huge challenge for the delivery of potential neurotherapeutics into the brain parenchyma.1 It is estimated that only 2% of small-molecule drugs and ,0.1% of novel protein and peptide pharmaceuticals developed for CNS diseases reach therapeutic concentrations in the brain.2,3 Many of the pharmacologically active drugs tend to fail..