Formulation and Drug Delivery
Overview
Bioactive materials such as drugs, vaccine antigens, pesticides and nutrients cannot be administered in pure form but must be incorporated into biocompatible formulations which maintain the stability of the bioactive material and deliver it in a suitable way to achieve optimal beneficial effects while minimising unwanted side effects. Thus the science of formulation and drug delivery has human, veterinary and agricultural applications. It combines physical chemistry, biology and materials science to investigate physico-chemical properties of bioactives, excipients and formulations and behaviours of bioactives and formulations in the biological environment in order to develop an underpinning science. This science is the basis for design and manufacture of delivery systems with predictable behaviours.
Work includes: chemical stability of drugs in formulations; physical stability in formulations; neural networks and fuzzy logic to facilitate formulation; controlled release devices to deliver antibacterial agents to specific regions of the mouth; single-shot vaccines for veterinary use; delivery of poisons or vaccines to possums for control of Tb; absorption of drugs from the intestine of surgical patients; delivery of peptide drugs orally; microencapsulation technologies. These projects have fundamental, applied and developmental aspects. Over $1 million in external funding has been won by the group.
Current objectives include: to fulfill specific project outputs in ocular, oral and subcutaneous research; to establish topical drug delivery and colloidal delivery as major research programmes; to publish specified target numbers of refereed journal papers; to meet specified postgraduate training targets; to secure contracts for human and pharmaceutical R&D formulation projects.
Further information
Professor Ian Tucker
School of Pharmacy
PO Box 913, Dunedin
Tel 64 3 479 7296
Fax 64 3 479 7034
Email ian.tucker@otago.ac.nz
