Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Why is drug delivery important right now?

Our partners at Drug Delivery Partnerships Europe are gearing up for their event which will take place September 17-18 in Hamburg, Germany.  They've had a chance to sit down with a few of their speakers and discuss some of the topics that are at the top of their minds

Today, we feature an interview with advisory board member Joel Richard, the Senior Vice President, Peptides, Head of CMC & Engineering Dreux Site, at IPSEN, France.

Why is drug delivery such a pertinent topic at this point in time? 
I think peptide and protein formulation and delivery is a very important topic at the present time, due to the key challenges of stabilization and delivery of these molecules, which are mostly injectables administered chronically for long periods of time. In the last two decades, sustained-release peptide formulations have been successfully developed to decrease the frequency of administration and increase the quality of life and compliance by reducing injection fear, pain and reactions at injection site, but also making administration easier using pre-filled, ready-to-use devices. Much is still to come in this field for both peptides and proteins, using solvent-free, water-based formulations like peptide self-assemblies or amyloid fibers. In the next years, new commercial formulations will also make it possible to deliver peptides and proteins in a non-invasive way, via oral, transdermal or transmucosal routes. This will be a major breakthrough and take over a significant part of the market.

What are the biggest challenges in this field? 
One of the biggest challenges remains the delivery of peptides and proteins in a non-invasive way, via oral, transdermal or transmucosal routes. Late stage clinical trials are close to completion for oral and transdermal peptides, but crossing the membranes and getting appropriate bioavailability is still a major hurdle for large peptides and proteins. The impact on manufacturing capacity and cost of goods is huge.

Download Joel Richard's full interview here.

Are you interested in finding out more about Drug Delivery Partnerships Europe?  Download the agenda.

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