Using colloidal packings as templates for structuring drugs

James Wilking; Andr\'e Studart; Sebastian Koltzenburg; Rodrigo Guerra; Esther Amstad; Jens Rieger; David Weitz

Using colloidal packings as templates for structuring drugs

ORAL

Abstract

Many pharmaceutical compounds are poorly soluble in water; this is problematic because most pharmaceuticals are delivered orally and must dissolve in the gastrointestinal fluid in order to be taken up by the body. We introduce a simple method for increasing the dissolution rates of poorly water-soluble organic actives. We demonstrate that by structuring the compounds within the interconnected, nanoscale pore space of a colloidal packing we create composites which rapidly disintegrate in water, exposing the nanostructured organic active and leading to improved dissolution rates.

Feb. 28, 2012, 10:36 AM – Feb. 28, 2012, 10:48 AM

Authors

James Wilking
- Harvard University
Andr\'e Studart
- ETH
Sebastian Koltzenburg
- BASF
Rodrigo Guerra
- Harvard University
Esther Amstad
- Harvard University
Jens Rieger
- BASF
David Weitz
- Harvard University
- Department of Physics and Division of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Physics and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA