The optimal administration of a drug is achieved through the delicate balance between the timing and the chosen dosage posing some major challenges that need to be thoroughly explored and overcome. Research into developing optimal drug delivery technologies have the potential to address several of these challenges including formulation strategies, penetration enhancement methodologies and devices for controlled drug administration. Over the last decade, the field of drug delivery has witnessed a major boom in research and development, and these technologies are now in a position to transform pharmaceutical and biotechnology products. The one-day workshop on “’UNMET NEEDS IN DRUG DELIVERY TECHNOLOGIES” was held at IIT Bombay on February 25, 2017 jointly with Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA) & Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI).
This workshop aimed to bring researchers in this field face to face with healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies for an extensive overview of newer drug formulations and delivery technologies. An emphasis was placed on identifying the gaps in drug delivery technologies together with a comprehensive discussion of recent technological advances in the field, including strategies for oral, topical/transdermal and targeted drug delivery for applications in oncology, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases and CNS disorders etc. The insight provided by industry research partners helped to identify new areas of research as well as closely understand the challenges in the production and commercialization of new therapeutics. Aspects of regulatory and IP aspects of potential commercializable technologies were also discussed.
