Aerogen

Nanoparticles are rapidly becoming the focus of multiple new drug delivery modalities, especially in the pulmonary field. Nanoparticles offer a variety of advantages including, but not limited to;

1. increased drug targeting
2. enhanced solubility of drug
3. sustained and/or controlled release of drug
4. potential for drug internalization by target cells
5. the potential for dual therapeutic and diagnostic, that is to say, theranostic applications.

Non-invasive aerosol-medicated delivery via an aerosol generator is the preferred method of delivery to the lung, and as such the effect of the process of aerosolization on the nanoparticles must be considered. Aerogen has engaged with a variety of world leading researchers in the development, characterisation and exploitation of a variety of different nanoparticle systems for targeted delivery to the lung. These nanoparticles are representative of a variety of nanoparticle types including simple high capacity vector systems, functionalized nanoparticles for increased targeting specificity and also theranostic systems.

Aerogen’s research work to date has resulted in the development a variety of nanoparticle systems harboring therapeutic utility, compatible with Aerogen’s proprietary OnQ^TM technology. Importantly, Aerogen’s OnQ technology has demonstrated superior compatibility with nanoparticle formulations when compared with jet and ultrasonic nebulisers for the purposes of aerosol generation. A suite of protocols has been developed for rapid screening of candidate nanoparticles and have already undertaken multiple preclinical studies with a range of candidate formulations.

We have a large network of collaborators with whom we work to develop these novel nanoparticles, cordinated through our membership of the Competence Centre for Applied Nanotechnology (CCAN) in Ireland www.ccan.ie