720165Development of Prototype for innovative sustained-release pharmaceutical manufacturingClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKThe Pharmaceutical industry has generally been slow to innovate in formulation technologies. Most medicines are still introduced to the body through the oral (tablets or capsules), intravenous (soluble liquid formulations) or intra-muscular (insoluble emulsions) routes. All of these have disadvantages especially for the increasing number of patients who require lifelong treatments for chronic disease. As the population ages this issue becomes more important as there is a growing cohort of patients with diabetes, COPD, Alzheimer's and so on who require new medicines taken continually. It is difficult for patients to remember to take pills daily, intra-venous administration can only be done under medical supervision and intra-muscular injections are painful. A new approach to formulation is required which could handle a wide variety of different new drugs (small molecules, peptides and biologics). Such a method should provide for infrequent essentially pain-free injections to allow the patient to lead their life as conveniently as possible. Q Chip aims to address this need by developing a totally novel approach to the manufacture of sustained-release drug formulations for sub-cutaneous injections. Such formulations are used where a drug needs to be provided over months or years. Good examples include drugs used to control prostate cancer, acromegaly, diabetes or schizophrenia. The Company has been funded by investors to develop the core technology. It has been successful in this accumulating data and establishing a clinical trial material production unit which are attracting the attention of major pharmaceutical companies. It now needs to transfer its technology to a manufacturing scale suitable for the production of medicines sold globally. By extending its current IP portfolio through undertaking this research Q Chip aims to retain a significnat part of the value of its innovation in the UK whilst aiding the developmnet of life saving and life enhancing drugs.