Featured Articles
Revolutionary technology could save drug companies millions - 07/07/2008
Drug companies across the world could save millions thanks to a new technology developed by University of Leeds engineers which monitors crystal formation to ensure desired drug compounds are produced.
Controlling crystals as they form is crucial in drug manufacture for both product cost and product safety. Changes in crystal structure during processing – known as polymorphism – can lead to huge delays in bringing drugs to market, costing drugs companies millions. The delays can also lead to challenges to intellectual property protection and there have been many cases where patents have been challenged by companies making an established formulation using a different polymorph.
Dr Robert Hammond, of the University’s Faculty of Engineering, commented: “It’s an enormous problem for drug companies. Their patents are extremely valuable – they are granted for 20 years, but it can take ten years to bring a new drug to market, which only leaves another ten to recoup the cost of its development.”
The revolutionary technique identifies and monitors changes in crystal structure on-line, providing a method of ensuring production of the desired drug compounds. It highlights how the region’s pioneering R&D offers opportunities for businesses in the region to get ahead of competition. Within the UK, Yorkshire and Humber is at the cutting-edge of advances in healthcare and is home to a large number of specialist research units and institutes with world renowned expertise.
Speaking about the crystal monitoring technique, Dr Hammond added: “There’s enormous commercial potential for this technology, for example it could be developed to work at manufacturing plant scales and can be applied to speciality chemical industries as well.”
