Professor Queen's University Belfast Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Long-acting drug delivery systems are attracting significant interest among researchers in academia and industry alike. They provide long-term drug release, making them ideal for treating chronic conditions, such as HIV, age-related macular degeneration and tuberculosis. Current therapies for these chronic conditions typically include frequent administration of therapeutics, leading to continuous long-term fluctuations in peak-to-trough drug levels. This traditional practice leads to several issues, such as side effects due to high drug levels and poor patient adherence. There are many long-acting drug delivery systems, ranging from solid implants to injectable formulations. However, all currently require invasive procedures for administration. Professor Donnelly has pioneered intradermal administration of long-acting formulations, administered using microneedle-based systems. These devices painlessly, and without drawing blood, penetrate the skin's stratum corneum, thus creating opportunities for safe at-home use by patients, including in developing countries. This presentation will describe the latest innovations and progress towards commercialisation and patient benefit
Learning Objectives:
Understand the current challenges associated with long-acting drug delivery systems and the engineering, formulation, in vivo evaluation and translational development of novel long-acting intradermal microneedle alternatives
