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European Pharmaceutical Contractor
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Nasal drug delivery is rapidly emerging as a route for drug administration. Computer- aided engineering simulation tools, such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), are extensively used across a wide range of industry sectors, and this same technology is now being used for the simulation of nasal air flow passages and the deposition of drug particles. This article presents a study in which CFD simulation technology was applied. For the study, air flow velocities and distribution profiles of the drug particles were mapped as they travelled through the nasal cavity geometry chosen for analysis. The study also looked at the effects of key drug system formulation variables, such as particle size and densities, on drug deposition. The results show that simulations can be effectively used for the optimisation of nasal drug delivery systems, thereby minimising experimental work and clinical trials.
Nasal drug delivery systems are quickly being recognised as a method of drug administration and are emerging as an alternative to oral and injection routes of delivery (1,2). Some of the key advantages of using the nasal administration route are the improved speed of the pharmacological action as a feature of improved accessibility to the vasculature, and the ability to achieve target-specific drug delivery. The key factors for efficacy and safety are the formulation, the distribution of the drug and the localised therapeutic concentrations. The nasal route of administration is influenced by the particular target zones for delivery, the residence time of the delivered pharmacologically active agent and the flow characteristics that occur as a consequence of the nasal geometry. However, the complexity of the nasal geometry presents a major challenge when attempting to ensure the administration of a replicable dose.
The impact of device design upon the efficacy, and consequently the safety of the system, is important to understand. For both device design and formulation development, it is crucial to understand how both the drug delivery system (that is the device) and the drug itself, would interact with the complex nasal geometry. For this study, a nasal geometry was obtained through a CT scan, which was then used to examine formulation variables and their interaction with the nasal cavity using the CFD simulation approach.
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Industry Events |
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4th Annual Patient Recruitment and Retention in Clinical Trials
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News and Press Releases |
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Azopharma Product Development Group, Inc
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Azopharma Product Development Group, Inc. (“Azopharma”) announced today the addition of innovative state-of-the-art equipment at its formulation and manufacturing division, ApiCross Drug Delivery Technologies in Hollywood, Florida. The most recent acquisition is the MG Futura Capsule Filler which delivers the latest in capsule filling technology. The company has also added a Bausch & Strobel Aseptic Filling Isolator, equipment that is ground-breaking in the powder filling process. These additions support our previously implemented XcelodoseTM powder micro-dosing system. With these technologies, Azopharma is able to provide its clients with all forms of the capsule filling process. The new equipment is part of Azopharma’s recent manufacturing expansion which includes 17 new manufacturing suites for GMP, cytotoxic and aseptic products...
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