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Project

Solvent electrospinning nanofibers as a novel material for improved polymer-API solid dispersions.

Today, over 60%, of all newly developed drugs are discarded due to low water-solubility. This low
water-solubility is due to both the chemical makeup and the high degree of crystallinity of the
drug. The current formulation techniques to produce tablets today cannot circumvent this
problem, which means that the produced product cannot be absorbed by our body and will,
hence, have a very low efficacy. With solvent electrospinning as a new formulation technique it is
aimed to homogeneously disperse the drug in a polymer matrix. In first proof of principle
experiments on the drug flubendazole it has already been shown that this can prevent
crystallization, which enhances the solubility of the drug inside aqueous environments, such as the
body. In other words, by formulating highly crystalline drugs with low water-solubility via solvent
electrospinning, the drug's bioavailability is increased. However, this phenomenon is not fully
understood and, hence, far from optimized and for sure not yet widely applicable. Thus, the
influence of different process parameters on the final drug delivery should be studied. Also
different polymers and different drugs should be examined. In this project, these topics will be
dealt with and finally the formulation of highly crystalline drugs that are insoluble in aqueous
environments will be made viable. The technique will be well understood and optimized in order
to design new polymer-drug systems that increase the bioavailability of the drug.

Date:1 Jan 2018 →  31 Dec 2022
Keywords:nanofibers