New painkiller delivery method – drug release gel – created in the UK
A new drug release gel that may avoid some of the side effects of painkillers such as ibuprofen and naproxen has been developed at the University of York in the UK.
The research team looked for a way of eliminating the negative side-effects associated with some painkillers, such as ulceration in the stomach. They wanted to create gels that could interact with drugs such as naproxen and release them at the slightly alkaline pH values found in the intestine rather than the acidic conditions in the stomach.
A new gel was created based on small molecules that self-assemble into nanofibers that can interact with a variety of anti-inflammatory, painkiller drugs, including iburofen and naproxen.
Specific interactions between the gel nanofibres and the drugs meant that high loadings can be achieved, and the release of the drug can be precisely controlled. The gels are able to release naproxen at pH8 (the value found in the intestine) but not at lower pH values found elsewhere in the body.
“Although researchers have used gels before to try and improve the formulation of naproxen, this is the first time that a self-assembling system has been used for the job, with the advantages of directed interactions between the nanoscale delivery scaffold and the drug,” explains Prof David Smith who is involved in the work. “As such, this is the first time that such precise control has been achieved.”
The next step is to stabilise the gel drug delivery systems in the very acidic, low pH, conditions found in the stomach so that they can transit safely to the intestine before delivering naproxen just where it is needed.
Click here to read the original research.
Subscribe to Arthritis Digest, the UK’s fastest growing arthritis magazine for all the latest arthritis news, reviews and celebrity interviews. You’ll know what your doctor is talking about, what new drugs are in the pipeline and be up to date on helpful products. Hard copy and digital versions both available. Click here for more information.
Image credit: Lisa Redfern
