Formulation of poorly-soluble drugs

About the Project

Poorly water-soluble drugs is an important class of pharmaceutical compounds that are finding numerous applications for the therapy of different pathological conditions. This project aims at the use of established water-soluble polymers and the design of novel amphiphilic polymers for their application in the formulation of poorly-soluble drugs. The project will include experiments on the synthesis of polymers (either by polymerisation of relevant monomers or by chemical modification of existing polymers) and their physicochemical characterisation (e.g. 1H NMR and FTIR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, thermal analysis, etc) and their use to formulate a selection of poorly water-soluble drugs. Formulation strategies will include the preparation of aqueous dispersions with the amphiphilic polymers and evaluation of their stability. Additionally we will use various polymers to formulate solid drug dispersions. Solid dispersions will be assessed using differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, stability and dissolution studies.

Funding Notes

"Eligible applicants must have, or expect to obtain, a good honours degree (first class or upper second) or hold an MSc in a relevant discipline."