Pharmaceutical materials scientist wins 2012 McBain Medal
For his research in the field of colloid, polymer and interface science
Dr Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, a reader in pharmaceutical materials at Reading’s School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy, has won the 2012 McBain Medal for his work in the field of colloid, polymer and interface science.
The medal, a joint award of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), will be presented to Dr Khutoryanskiy at a one-day symposium in January 2013, at which he will deliver a keynote lecture.
The main focus of Dr Khutoryanskiy’s work is developing new materials to help in the administration of drugs, the treatment of wounds, and technology to contain innovative treatments such as proteins, bacteria and living cells such as stem cells, which could all help in the fight against disease.
His research into the behaviour of water-soluble polymers in solution mixtures has resulted in a number of advances leading to the formulation of nanomaterials, soft and superabsorbent hydrogels, thin films and microcapsules.
His research team has extensively studied the ability of various pharmaceutical polymers to ‘stick’ to mucosal surfaces, such as those found in the mouth, stomach or on the surface of the eye, allowing new ways to administer drugs.
This sticking property allows drugs to be retained more easily where they are needed in the body. In the eyes, for example, conventional eye drops are quickly washed away by tears and blinking, but a ‘sticky’ dose allows more drugs to penetrate the eye, making treatments dramatically quicker and more effective.
Hydrogels are also very promising for wound care applications, where their ability to absorb large amounts of biological fluids is used to develop wound dressings that can aid the healing process, provide protection for the newly formed tissue, and be easily removed without causing a trauma.
Dr Khutoryanskiy’s group has recently developed hydrogels that have excellent potential in this area, which are in development with a range of industrial partners.
The team has also developed different approaches for the encapsulation of proteins, probiotic bacteria and living cells, potentially leading to new approaches for the development and delivery of therapeutic treatments.
Dr Khutoryanskiy said it is a great honour to win the 2012 McBain Medal, which recognises the research he and his team have been doing for the past 10 years.
‘I am absolutely grateful to a number of my students and collaborators, who contributed to this success,’ he said.
You may also like
Research & Development
Scientists develop new technique to fight antimicrobial resistance
The team of researchers from the University of Leicester have developed a new technique to sequence phage genomes from individual plaques and hopes to use it to build fully characterised libraries of bacteriophages, expanding the number of candidates available to tackle drug-resistant infections
Research & Development
Lancet Oncology Commission launches to examine future of academic cancer clinical trials amid funding and regulatory pressures
A global coalition of clinical investigators and patient representatives has launched the Lancet Oncology Commission to address the value and challenges of independent academic cancer clinical trials, amid growing concerns over regulatory complexity, limited public funding and the need for new international collaboration models
Regulatory
WHO prequalifies Novartis' antimalarial Coartem Baby for treatment of newborns and young infants
The decision allows global procurement of artemether-lumefantrine (also known as Riamet Baby in some countries) for the first time, with Novartis adding that it will make the treatment available on a largely not-for-profit basis in malaria-endemic regions
Manufacturing
BD and Suttons Creek collaborate to streamline combination product development for pharma and biotech
The new strategic collaboration will help pharmaceutical and biotech companies reduce development risk and regulatory complexity across drug-device combination products, including biologics and GLP-1 therapies
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to find out more.
Regulatory
UK clinical trial reforms come into force in largest regulatory overhaul in 20 years
The MHRA and Health Research Authority are implementing the most significant package of clinical trial regulatory reforms in more than two decades, introducing faster assessment routes for lower-risk trials and mandatory registration of trial results
Regulatory
FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation to pegrizeprument for prevention of heart transplant rejection
The FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation to pegrizeprument (VEL-101), a novel monoclonal antibody fragment licensed to Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, for the prevention of heart allograft rejection, following a similar designation granted for liver transplant rejection in January 2026
Research & Development
Epitopea receives MHRA approval for first-in-human trial of RNA vaccine for ovarian cancer
The company has received regulatory approval from the MHRA and Regional Ethics Committee to initiate its OVACT Phase I/Ib clinical trial of CryptiVax-1001, an off-the-shelf mRNA immunotherapy targeting high-grade serous ovarian cancer