New Intravenous Drug Therapies Possible Due To Microfluidizer® Processing

Thanks in part to the Microfluidizer processor, doctors can administer new kinds of drugs to patients — drugs that previously could not be absorbed through the digestive tract and could not be administered by injection without risking the blockage of blood vessels. Earlier work with the Microfluidizer processor has already allowed patients to receive intravenous dosages of insoluble fatty oils, giving them more energy during convalescence and prompting faster recoveries. The new study, involving intravenous delivery of drugs, is taking place at the Purdue University Center for Pharmaceutical Processing under sponsorship of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a consortium of pharmaceutical companies. The project is directed by Professor Stanley Hem.

The role of the Mirofluidizer processor is to supply large quantities of very small lipid droplets whose uniform size can be reproduced from trial to trial and study to study. Lipids are organic compounds (e.g., fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides) that are insoluble in water but soluble in common organic solvents, are oily to the touch, and together with carbohydrates and proteins constitute the principal structural material of living cells. Since lipids dissolve inside cells, but not in a carrying medium, such as water, they make convenient containers in which to carry other compounds, such as drugs, into the body.

The small size of the lipid droplets produced by the Microfluidizer processor makes it possible to inject them into the blood without risking blockage of small blood vessels. The reproducibility of uniform particles allows scientists to benchmark their progress as they change other variables of the study. And, finally, the speed and ease-of-use of the Microfluidizer processor allow scientists to create the quantities of lipid droplets they need to move the research forward quickly.