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Contract research
News Release from: Melbourn Scientific | Subject: Particle size and behaviour
Edited by the Laboratorytalk Editorial
Team on 05 May 2008
Ushering in a new era of nasal inhalers
Melbourn Scientific has been involved in a number of device developments for companies taking a lead in this field, providing a wealth of experience in this new area.
Performance testing for nasal delivery devices is one of the new services being offered by Melbourn Scientific Although traditionally used for the local administration of decongestants and anti-histamines, the potential of a nasal route is now being investigated for a wide range of treatments from the instant relief of panic attacks through to needle-free vaccinations
This article was originally published on Laboratorytalk on 24 Oct 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Clients offered on-line update
Contract research organisation Melbourn Scientific is to launch a unique on-line service offering its global client base up-to-the-minute details on the status of their respective projects.
Pharmacopoeial test facility expanded
It might look like something out of Harry Potter, but it is compulsory for all new products and there are fewer and fewer companies with the specialist skills needed to perform the tests
This creates new challenges for devices and requires new testing regimes.
Mark Hammond, business development director of Melbourn Scientific explains: "The nasal route has advantages for delivery of drugs for migraine and pain relief, as the tissue has a large surface area and high permeability.
"The location of lymphoid tissue at the back of the nasal cavity offers rapid transport into the systemic circulation, and the olfactory region at the top of the nasal cavity is of interest for the treatment for ageing diseases such as Alzheimer's, as it allows rapid absorption into the central nervous system.
Further reading
Expanded NGI capacity as inhaler testing increases
Pharmaceutical companies are looking to offer improved versions of drugs and new forms of delivery as a method of 'life-cycle management'; inhaled formulations and devices can offer advantages
New drugs challenge dissolution thinking
Less soluble compounds present demanding method development challenges for dissolution testing, and this requires a high degree of expertise when selecting the most appropriate analytical solution
"The challenge of a nasal delivery device is to get the particle size right in order to ensure that drug is deposited within the nasal passages and not the lungs or gastro-intestinal tract".
Research has shown that a particle size of greater than 10 to 20 microns is required in order to optimise this.
Melbourn Scientific uses a range of techniques to determine particle size and behaviour and can provide advice on the comparative benefits of the different techniques.
It can also offer method development and validation.
In particular, it is the first UK contract laboratory to offer GLP and GMP compliant laser particle sizing for nasal sprays using the Malvern Spraytec.
The Spraytec system allows for the complete characterisation of the aerosol produced by nasal spray devices.
It achieves this by measuring droplet size distributions using laser diffraction.
The spray is passed through a laser beam and the angular intensity of the scattered light is measured.
This scattering pattern is then analysed using an appropriate optical model to yield a size distribution.
Laser screening of particles gives immediate results.
It provides a measurement of the size and distribution of the particles but does not identify them.
However, the speed, accuracy and consistency of laser particle analysis is making this technique popular, especially in the development of new devices.
For nasal devices the company is able to offer a portfolio of tests to characterise and measure particles and their distribution.
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