Grant For ISTN To Develop Ulcer Treatment With Nanotechnology - News Item

ISTN has announced the award of a $150,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a novel drug delivery system for ulcer treatment. The grant is part of NIH’s Bioengineering Nanotechnology Initiative, a special SBIR program for “nanotechnologies useful to biomedicine.”

This award supports the development of a nanocomposite drug carrier made of chitosan and silica which is capable of sustained controlled release, thereby eliminating undesirable side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, and retching which can result from high, bursting dosages. Chitosan, derived from an abundant natural product found in shellfish, adheres well to mucosal membranes, a trait which increases the residence time of a chitosan-based drug carrier. However, due to chitosan’s high solubility in acid, a composite form is required to maintain structural integrity. A tightly entangled network of chitosan and silica molecules would leach significantly less.

“We are excited to receive a grant as part of this highly selective program,” said Frank Yang, ISTN’s Director of Business Development. “Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize the $47 billion drug delivery market, and this award is a significant accomplishment which validates the gradual extension of our technology to this competitive field. We have a multi-disciplinary team with strong expertise in nanocomposites that will look to design a controlled release system which maximizes drug efficacy while minimizing side effects for the numerous patients who undergo treatment for ulcers.”

Posted 2^nd March 2004