University of Delaware and Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research find polymers to better target Leukemia cells

University of Delaware and Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research are conducting a nanoparticle study that could change the way leukemia medication is delivered to patients. The drug is wrapped in polymers and then administered, which will lower the chances of side effects.

The mice getting the nanoparticle drug had only about a third of the standard dose but had a better quality of life and lived longer than the mice that got the drug alone. There were no discernible side effects.Childhood leukemia makes up around 30% of cancers in children, and the most common from is acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Although it's still early, this could potentially deliver the drug without harming healthy cells, something that is a constant battle with cancer drugs, especially with chemotherapy.

In early September you may remember our post about Johns Hopkins using a molecule called PEG to deliver medication directly to tumors in the brain, without harming any other tissue. What other types of illnesses could benefit from such a precise form of delivery? How will these developments effect the patents that are produced and the Pharma industry as a whole?

Will these new nanoparticle developments become the next market driving force in the Pharma industry, especially in Pediatrics? At the 17th annual Drug Delivery Partnerships, Phillippe Guillet, Senior Director, WW Head, Healthcare Technologies, Aging, SANOFI-AVENTIS and Sven Stegemann, PhD, President, GERIATRIC MEDICINE SOCIETY discuss how to utilize Pediatric and Geriatric Drug Delivery to increase revenue and postpone the patent cliff. To learn more about the Drug Delivery Partnerships event, check out our agenda and join us February 6-8 in San Diego, Ca!

As a reader of the Drug Delivery Partnerships International blog, you get a 15% discount off the standard rate when using code XP1878BLOG to register.