Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Hebrew University Researchers Win Kaye Prize For Gastro-retentive Sustained Release Drug Delivery System

Hebrew University Researchers Win Kaye Prize For Gastro-retentive Sustained Release Drug Delivery System

June 07, 2004

Despite advances made in "sustained delivery" drug delivery technologies in recent years, a problem still persists in trying to obtain controlled release of a wide variety of medications that have only a "narrow absorption window" in the upper part of the intestines. That is, these drugs are absorbed rather quickly after being swallowed, negating the beneficial effects of "once-a-day" medication.

Now, researchers at the Hebrew University School of Pharmacy have developed a new technology, which they call Gastro-Retentive Dosage Form (GDRF), that "hangs" drugs in the stomach for an extended period. This is accomplished through a matrix consisting of a multilayer polymeric film that contains the active compound embedded in the polymer, surrounded by a rigid frame.

The matrix is "folded" into a standard size gelatin capsule. After swallowing, the matrix "unfolds" itself. Because of its protective polymer coating, the drug remains in the stomach for an extended period, accompanied by a slow and steady release, rather than being absorbed quickly.

The technology can serve as a platform to entrap large amounts of a variety of active agents and drugs containing difference physiochemical properties. It has especial significance for various drugs - including those that treat AIDS, as well as cardiovascular and central nervous system disorders - for which a steady level of medication dosage is critical.

For their work in developing the technology, Prof. Amnon Hoffman and Prof. Michael Friedman of the Department of Pharmaceutics at the Hebrew University School of Pharmacy and Dr. Eran Lavy of the Hebrew University Koret School of Veterinary Medicine have been named as winners of the Kaye Award for Innovations, to be presented on June 8 at the 67th meeting of the university's Board of Governors.

The technology has been patented through the Hebrew University's Yissum Technology Transfer Company, and initial steps towards commercial development are under way at the Intec-Pharma startup company in Jerusalem's Har Hachotzvim high-tech industrial area.

The Kaye Innovation Awards have been given annually since 1994. Isaac Kaye of England, a prominent industrialist in the pharmaceutical industry, established the awards to encourage faculty, staff, and students of the Hebrew University to develop innovative methods and inventions with good commercial potential which will benefit the university and society.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem




Science Research Departments



Earth Science

Alternative Energy  |   Anthropology and Archaeology  |   Earthquakes and Volcanoes  |   Environment and Nature News  |   Global Warming  |   High-Energy and Particle Physics  |   Ozone Hole  |   Scientists Slow Light  |   Tsunami


Space Science

Astronomy and Space News  |   Black Holes  |   Chandra X-Ray Observatory  |   Extrasolar Planets  |   Hubble Telescope  |   International Space Station  |   Jupiter Galileo Mission  |   Jupiter Cassini Mission Flyby  |   Mars Exploration  |   Mars Odyssey 2001  |   Mars Global Surveyor  |   Mars Polar Lander  |   Mars Climate Orbiter  |   Mars Pathfinder  |   Meteors and Asteroids  |   Mir Space Station  |   NEAR Asteroid Probe Mission  |   Pluto Planet Debate |   Search for Extraterrestrial Life  |   Space Shuttle Program  |   Space Shuttle Mission: STS-102  |   Space Weather


Life Science

Animal News  |   Biotechnology and Genetics  |   Brain Research  |   Human Cloning  |   Dinosaur and Fossil Discoveries  |   Endangered Species  |   Gene Therapy  |   Genetically Modified Food  |   Stem Cell Research  |   Whales and Whaling


The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You! (Everything Kids Series)
by Tom Robinson

Science has never been so easy - or so much fun! With The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book, all you need to do is gather a few household items and you can recreate dozens of mind-blowing, kid-tested science experiments. High school science teach Tom Robinson shows you how to expand your scientific horizons - from biology to chemistry to physics to outer space. You'll discover...



Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
by Fil Hunter, Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua

An amazing (and some would say magical) resource on photographic lighting that has been talked about in the community and recommended for years. This highly respected guide has been thoroughly updated and revised for content and design - it is now produced in full color! It introduces a logical theory of photographic lighting so if you are starting out in photography you will learn how to...



Principles of Environmental Science
by William Cunningham, Mary Ann Cunningham

Rather than the 25 to 30 chapters found in most environmental science textbooks, the authors have limited Principles of Environmental Science: Inquiry and Applications to 15 chapters--perfect for the one-semester, non-majors environmental science course. True to its title, the goal of this concise text is to provide an up-to-date, introductory view of essential themes in environmental science...



The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2008 (The Best American Series)

"The articles . . . draw the reader more tightly into the web of the world. They forge links in unexpected ways. They connect us to nature and to each other, and those connections nourish the intellect and uplift the spirit."—Jerome Groopman, M.D., editorThis year's Best American Science and Nature Writing offers another rich assortment of "fascinating science and impressive journalism" (New...



On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
by Harold McGee

Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is a kitchen classic. Hailed by Time magazine as "a minor masterpiece" when it first appeared in 1984, On Food and Cooking is the bible to which food lovers and professional chefs worldwide turn for an understanding of where our foods come from, what exactly they're made of, and how cooking transforms them into something new and delicious. Now, for its...



Science Fair
by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson

Grdankl the Strong, president of Kprshtskan, is plotting to take over the American government. His plan is to infiltrate the science fair at Hubble Middle School, located in a Maryland suburb just outside Washington. The rich kids at Hubble cheat by buying their projects every year, and Grdankl's cronies should have no problem selling them his government-corrupting software. But this year, Toby...



Influence: Science and Practice (5th Edition)
by Robert B. Cialdini

Influence: Science and Practiceis an examination of the psychology of compliance (i.e. uncovering which factors cause a person to say "yes" to another's request). Written in a narrative style combined with scholarly research, Cialdini combines evidence from experimental work with the techniques and strategies he gathered while working as a salesperson, fundraiser, advertiser, and in other...



Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
by Frederick J Gravetter, Larry B. Wallnau

By far the best-selling introduction to statistics for users in the behavioral and social sciences, this book continues to offer straightforward instruction, accuracy, built-in learning aids, and real-world examples. The goal of STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, 8th Edition is to not only teach the methods of statistics, but also to convey the basic principles of objectivity and logic that...



The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View
by Laura King

Why Things Go Right. The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View by Laura King (University of Missouri at Columbia) is the first text to bring a truly appreciative view of psychology-as a science and for exploring behavior-to introductory students. It is built around the idea that students must study the discipline of psychology as a whole, that the sub-disciplines are intricately connected,...



The Science of Getting Rich
by Wallace D. Wattles

A simple way to create wealth and happiness in your...

© 2009 BrightSurf.com