Drug Delivery

CDRD’s Drug Delivery division focuses on the formulation of drugs, from novel small molecule therapeutics, to the new macromolecular therapeutics coming increasingly from proteomics and genomics research.  CDRD has capabilities in all types of drug formulation, and it has particular expertise in the use of nano-delivery technologies to increase drug effectiveness and reduce side effects. Nano-particulate carriers can target drugs specifically to disease sites, sequestering them away from other drug-sensitive tissues.

For a new drug to be effective, the drug must reach its site of action in the body at an appropriate rate of delivery, at an appropriate concentration, and for a sufficient duration of time.  The route of drug administration, the dose and dosing frequency, and the drug formulation all act together to affect the therapeutic outcome.  The Division has state-of-the-art equipment for physical and chemical characterization of drugs and excipients, for formulation and for analytical testing.  Specialized equipment includes a calorimetry suite, an analytical facility, access to microscopy equipment including a surface confocal microscope and cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy equipment (offered in partnership with the BioImaging Facility at UBC), and physicochemical characterization tools such as particle size and zeta potential analyzers.

Capabilities and Resources

Centre for Drug Research and Development's Drug Delivery Division assesses the chemical and physical properties of drugs, excipients, and formulations and uses this information to develop formulations that can be safely administered in vivo, maximize efficacy, and are stable in storage. The division develops drug-eluting matrices and nanomedicines for hydrophobic drugs, as well as peptide and nucleic acid–based therapeutics.

 

Pre-formulationFormulationAnalytical Testing
  • Drug and excipient characterization
    • Physicochemical properties
    • Stability
    • Compatibility
  • Biomaterial analysis
  • Formulation development
    • Oral or injectable
    • Nanodelivery systems
    • Drug-eluting matrices
    • Small/large MW drugs (hydrophobic, RNAi)
  • Process development
  • Analytical and bioanalytical method development
  • Stability testing
  • Specifications development
  • In-process and release testing
EquipmentEquipmentEquipment
  • UPLC, LC/MS/MS, SEC-LALS
  • Plate readers
  • Thermo-analytical suite
  • Microscopy suite
  • Liposome extruders, misers
  • Diafiltration unit
  • Lyophilizer, electro-sprayer
  • Sterile preparation
  • UPLC, LC/MS/MS, GPC
  • Particle sizer, cryo-TEM
  • Stability chambers
  • Dissolution apparatus

 

Equipment Highlights

Our formulation equipment includes liposome extruders, high-speed mixers, diafiltration units, an electro-sprayer for polymer processing, a vial-stoppering tray freeze-drier, and a cytotoxic-handling/sterile-filling suite.

CDRD is equipped with several state-of-the-art high-throughput UPLCs able to analyze analytical and bioanalytical samples in under five minutes. Detection modes include UV, MS/MS, ELSD, and fluorescence.

Our thermal-analysis suite allows thermogravimetric analysis, moisture-sorption characterization and DSC of solid samples, and solution calorimetry (ITC) of biological binding processes.

We have several systems for physicochemical characterization, including SEC-MALS, particle-sizing and zeta-potential analysis, and confocal and cryo–transmission electron microscopy. The latter is offered in partnership with the BioImaging Facility at UBC.

Staff

Helen Burt, Ph.D. — Division Co-Chair

Angiotech Professor of Drug Delivery and UBC Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Burt is an expert in the fields of polymeric drug delivery, implantable biomaterials, and modulation of PGP transport. Full bio

Terry Allen, Ph.D. — Division Co-Chair

Dr. Allen is a Professor of Pharmacology and Oncology at the University of Alberta. She is a world leader in long-circulating, ligand-targeted liposomal therapeutics. She is an inventor on 18 patents, one of which has led to a liposomal anticancer product and two of which have led to anticancer and anti-inflammatory products in clinical trials. Full bio

 

Richard Liggins, Ph.D. — Head, Analytical Development and Pre-formulations

Dr. Liggins has ten years' industrial drug- and formulation-development experience, including preclinical development for Taxus® stents and clinical development of Paxceed™. He possesses expertise in pre-formulation and analytical characterization, formulation optimization, and scale-up. Full bio

Norbert Maurer, Ph.D. — Head, Formulation

Dr. Maurer has fourteen years' experience in academia and biotech from preclinical development through to regulatory approval, with expertise in nanomedicines for cancer. He has a successful track record in academic and corporate fundraising. Full bio