Controlled release of pain management drugs

Conventional drugs used to manage pain and inflammation suffer from a burst release issue – you get a large dose all in one go, which quickly fades. This means that patients with severe chronic conditions, such as arthritis, are forced into repeated doses – which may lead to unpleasant side effects.

Queen Mary’s Dr David Gould and Prof Gleb Sukhorukov have invented a novel microcapsule technology that creates a shell around the drug, thereby enabling a controlled release for long-term pain relief. The technology uses conventional polymers and established drugs, so it can be easily adopted.

The inspiration from the work came when Dr David Gould noticed  that an optimised release profile could provide up to 72 weeks of pain relief if release was better controlled. By comparison, conventional treatment is effective for just 6 weeks.

By creating a shell around the drug, we’ve already lengthened the effectiveness from weeks to months, and we’re investigating how different polymers could extend this even further. The impact on patient wellbeing could be lifechanging.

We’re seeking a commercial partner to help us develop this technology.