There are a number of specific issues that need to be addressed to improve the delivery of peptide and biologic therapeutics, notably the fact that most of these drugs are BCS Class III compounds, i.e. they have good solubility properties but low membrane permeability. The current default option for delivery is by injection, but the inconvenient and possibly painful nature of such a procedure can lead to issues with patient compliance and thus treatment effectiveness. Drug delivery technology companies have, therefore, been active in looking for new delivery methods for these highly effective macromolecular drug compounds.
It became clear that the development of alternative non-invasive delivery technologies, in particular for macromolecular drugs, was a major unmet requirement within the medical sector
The Catalent Applied Drug Delivery Institute has succeeded in its initial goals of bringing together key innovators, organisations and academia to better apply drug delivery technology and improve patient treatment outcomes. In early discussions, it became clear that the development of alternative non-invasive delivery technologies, in particular for macromolecular drugs such as peptide and protein therapeutics, was a major unmet requirement within the medical sector. The increasing share of pharma pipelines filled by macromolecular therapies prompted the Institute to establish the Non-invasive Macromolecule Delivery Consortium (NMDC) with a view to finding new ways of improving the patients’ experience and avoiding injections. New delivery methods are being sought to minimise pain and inconvenience, simplify dosing regimens and drug administration, eliminate the dangers of glass and needles, and also obviate the need for refrigeration.
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