Cutting Edge Seminars

The manufacturing of 3D printed personalised medicines at the point of care (PoC) is expected to revolutionise the pharmaceutical sector. Here we present a range of 3D printing technologies that offer significant benefits in comparison to conventional manufacturing processes including rapid print times, automation, print accuracy, excellent palatability and medication adherence. The clinical evaluation of 3D printed medicines has shown that PoC manufacturing can improve patient treatment and wellbeing. In addition, 3D printing offers continuous manufacturing of medicines at affordable cost for a children and elderly patients. The presentation includes some regulatory aspects that should be considered for the design of printable medicines.

This presentation will explore the development of long-acting drug delivery systems designed to improve patient adherence in the treatment of chronic diseases. The focus will be on the design of injectable, in situ forming implants based on dual-stimuli responsive nanogels and solid drug nanoparticles. These nanocomposite drug depots enable controlled, long-term release by responding to body temperature and physiological conditions upon injection. The talk will cover the underlying polymer chemistry, formulation challenges, and pre-clinical evaluation of these systems, which hold the potential to enhance therapeutic outcomes by addressing poor adherence in chronic disease treatments

High-pressure homogenization is commonly used by pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries globally to tailor the sizes and PDIs of various formulations (liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanoemulsions, and nanosuspensions) at a commercial scale. The current study aims to highlight the case studies for different formulations and their appropriate processing conditions to tailor the sizes and PDIs with enhanced stability and good drug entrapment efficiency.
Various trials were performed to formulate liposomes, SLNs, nanoemulsions, and nanosuspensions using model drugs (hydrophilic & hydrophobic). A comparison of piston gap (PG) and microchannel devices (MCDs) was performed at varying processing conditions (pressures/number of passes). In the case of MCDs, different microchannels (Y & Z) were compared to check their efficiency for tailoring the desired particle size distributions with reliability.
In some of the cases, MCD results were found to be better than PG and in others; a combination of PG and MCD demonstrated significant results with desired particle size distributions and drug entrapment efficiency. But both of these technologies (PG & MCD) have their significance, as PG is less likely to be blocked than MCD, but the issue of MCD blocking can be overcome by back flushing. The viscosity of the formulation is also one of the major factors in HPH processing of the formulations, but the use of a pressure feed vessel may help to some extent in resolving this issue; similarly for processing of SLNs thermocirculator is attached to the assembly to achieve desired results.

Particle adhesion force plays a critical role in powder handling operations and processes. There are many widely used methods, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and centrifugal detachment. However, most methods have limitations when the measurements are correlated to the bulk behaviour of powders, such as powder flow with varied particle size distributions. The study focuses on a unique test technique for measuring forces between particles and surfaces using cohesive powders, which includes a mechanical surface energy tester developed at The Wolfson Centre. The work focuses on predicting the powder flow function using a novel technique in conjunction with common particle attributes, with the goal of predicting flowability problems at an early stage of formulation using only a small amount of powder sample.

This research explores the evolution of blockchain technology in pharmaceutical supply chain management (PSCM), emphasising its potential to address cybersecurity threats and counterfeit drugs. Blockchain's transparency, immutability, and other features make it an ideal solution for PSCM. A systematic review of various blockchain platforms, including Hyperledger and Ethereum frameworks, highlights the trends and applications over time, particularly around the COVID-19 pandemic. The study identifies key developments including the rise of decentralised applications and the integration of blockchain with the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Despite its growing use, challenges like immutability remain a concern for PSCM stakeholders.

The skin, as the largest organ of the body, is vulnerable to damage from numerous sources, which can complicate the wound healing process. Conditions such as aging, diabetes, and obesity can hinder natural healing, resulting in extended inflammation and slower recovery. Nanomaterials, with their customizable properties, offer promising solutions for biomedical applications. Devices engineered with nanotechnology, particularly electrospun nanofibers, provide advantages over conventional dressings, including flexibility, precise drug delivery, gas exchange, and enhanced biological effectiveness. This study attends to the mechanisms behind chronic wound formation and the use of synthetic polymers to create bio-inspired nanofibers through electrospinning, aiming to enhance healing. This study aims to investigate the impact of electrospun nanofibers on wound dressing applications, focusing on polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymers (5% and 10% concentration) loaded with cannabidiol (CBD). By employing a single electrospinning apparatus, successfully nanofibers were synthesized that exhibited unique properties with desired characteristics based on the Electrohydrodynamic Atomization (EHDA) process moreover comprehensive assessments were conducted to confirm the suitability of nanofibers loaded with CBD for wound dressing applications. The rheological properties of solutions are critical for their effective application in the EHDA process, as the formulation must exhibit specific physical characteristics. This study emphasized the importance of conducting thorough physical characterization of solutions and there was an inverse relationship between increasing concentration and the rise in electrical surface tension (ST) and conductivity (EC). However, an increase in polymer concentration led to higher density (D) and viscosity (V). These parameters are essential to ensure the solutions meet the necessary criteria for successful EHDA processing. In Zeta Potential Results, the high negative zeta potential demonstrated a good degree of stability for nanofibers and enhanced bioavailability of CBD.  The CBD-loaded nanofibers exhibited improved stability confirmed by by the Optical Microscopy with smooth fibers. Thermal analysis revealed a slight decrease in melting temperatures for PCL (~57.84 °C) and PLGA (~44.12 °C), suggesting the formation of smaller crystallites and successful encapsulation of CBD. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the integration of CBD within the polymeric chains, although the final nanofibers did not exhibit detectable CBD peaks.  The in-vitro release study demonstrated that PLGA nanofibers achieved 100% CBD release within 48 hours, with an initial burst release phase and control release for 48 hours, PLGA nanofibers released approximately 65% of the drug within 30 minutes, while PCL nanofibers released 55% within 40 minutes. Kinetic modeling indicated the Higuchi model best described the release mechanisms for both formulations while the faster drug release from PLGA nanofibers was attributed to higher bioerosion compared to PCL. The study underscores the potential of nanofibers in wound dressing applications. Future research will concentrate on optimizing electrospinning parameters, enhancing fiber properties through surface modifications, and investigating in vivo behavior. Additionally, the use of wound kits to test wound dressing and some culture studies for targeted wound healing applications will be explored.

This presentation will address the growing demand for vegan/vegetarian alternatives in pharmaceuticals and the research carried out to formulate chewable tablets optimized for vegan/vegetarian populations. Chewable tablets, known for their ease of use and enhanced patient compliance, will be formulated using direct compression and non-animal-derived excipients. This research project will formulate and characterise new chewable tablets for the vegan/vegetarian populations by leveraging direct compression, optimizing non-animal-derived excipients and functional efficacy. Comprehensive characterization will align with British Pharmacopoeia standards, evaluating properties such as powder characteristics, mechanical strength, and dissolution, aiming to create innovative solutions that meet both dietary and therapeutic needs, improving patient care and inclusivity.

The gut microbiota serves as a dynamic hub of activity within the gastrointestinal tract, profoundly influencing nutrient and drug metabolism, immune modulation, and pathogen defence. Emerging research underscores its pivotal role in the gut-brain axis, revealing intricate mechanisms and pathways that connect gut health to neurological function. This talk will delve into cutting-edge findings on the potential of modulating the gut-brain axis as a transformative therapeutic strategy for managing neurological disorders. It will also explore the future opportunities that lie ahead, from innovative drug delivery systems to personalized microbiome-based interventions, while addressing critical challenges such as regulatory hurdles, safety concerns, and the need for robust clinical evidence. 

This talk explores the innovative technique of suspended layer additive manufacturing (SLAM) for 3D bioprinting soft tissue models. It demonstrates how SLAM overcomes traditional bioprinting limitations by using a supportive fluid gel medium, enabling the creation of complex, soft tissue structures with high resolution. The presentation will cover the principles behind SLAM, its advantages over conventional methods in generating physiologically relevant tissue models. It will also demonstrate how SLAM has been used for fabricating interfaced tissues, that have controlled spatial gradients in mechanical, chemical and biological properties within a single structure and highlight their potential to be used as tissue engineered implants or as models for drug screening.  

Characterising pharmaceutical formulations using biological methods is imperative in ensuring their safety, efficacy, and compatibility with the human body. These methods provide valuable insights into how these substances interact with living organisms, shedding light on their biological activity, potential side effects, and overall performance. Multicell biological models offer distinct advantages over traditional cell culture assays when characterising pharmaceuticals. This talk will showcase the services offered by Physicochemical, Ex vivo and Invertebrate Tests and Analysis Centre (PEVITAC), in particular, the use of live invertebrates and ex vivo mammal tissues in the studies of toxicity and adhesive properties of pharmaceutical formulations.

The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly urged to reduce waste and produce efficient drugs. Commercializing a new drug may cost 1-2 billion USD and 10,000 failing drug candidates. Limited research has been reported on modelling performance of supercritical CO2 (scCO2)-assisted spray drying, a technology with promising adaptability to continuous manufacturing. This presentation outlines our research efforts to develop an accurate and computationally efficient digital twin of the process using Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling augmented by user-defined functions. Process analytical tools ranging from thermal imaging to real-time laser-diffraction based droplet/particle sizing were used to validate and optimize the model.