Mechanochemical Preparation of Multi-Component Pharmaceutical Materials via Reactive Extrusion Technology

About the Project

Various strategies have been widely investigated as enabling technologies to enhance drug compounds that face challenges in terms of delivering the intended clinical efficacy, processibility across a range of production methods, and stability during manufacturing, storage and drug delivery. The production of novel multi-component forms provides a way to realise drug enablement without changing the biological efficacy of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) compound. Tuning of physical properties such as melting point can be made feasible if an isostructural series of API forms can be generated.

This project will involve synthesis and characterisations of a number of multi-component pharmaceutical materials (MPMs), that are composed of at least one pharmaceutical active ingredient (API), via advanced pharmaceutical engineering. Of particular interest are APIs that exhibit suboptimal physicochemical properties such as poor aqueous solubility, low permeability, poor thermal stability, and those that possess problematic polymorphisms.

In a second strand, the project will also involve formulation of such novel MPMs through continuous manufacturing. In so doing, the student will attempt to exploit the spectrum of interactions involved in forming the supramolecular synthons. The outcome of this project will also be used to aid the fundamental comprehension of the feasibility and criteria for both the engineering and formulation of MPMs via innovative manufacturing techniques.

Training provided through the research project

General technical training within the labs on instruments required for the project

Training on scientific writing through generation of progress reports, literature review(s), research article(s), conference presentations (abstracts, posters, slide decks)

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Time management skills

Coordination skills

Expected impact activities

Attendance and dissemination at both national and international conferences

Publication of both literature review papers and research articles

Follow-up funding application process

Funding Notes

This project is not funded; applications are welcome from self-funding candidates.

References

Reactive extrusion, mechanochemistry, multi-component pharmaceutical complexes, cocrystals, eutectic systems, co-amorphous