Cresol-Containing Injectable Nanogel for Extended Drug Release
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current drug delivery methods for therapeutic agents, particularly those with short half-lives, face challenges in achieving extended release times without degradation, especially for biologics, and often require invasive procedures or frequent dosing, which is costly and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
An injectable polymer matrix drug delivery system comprising biodegradable polymers, solvents, and alkylphenols is developed to form a gel in situ, allowing for the sustained release of therapeutic agents like insulin, tetrandrine, and dexamethasone, providing continuous drug delivery for up to 140 days without surgical intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If traditional drug delivery methods are used for therapeutic agents with short half-lives, then frequent dosing is required to maintain therapeutic levels, but this increases treatment cost and patient burden
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the drug delivery system from liquid to gel through in situ gelation, transforming the release kinetics. The gel matrix formation alters diffusion parameters and degradation rates, enabling sustained release over extended periods without requiring frequent dosing adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite formulations combining biodegradable polymers with therapeutic agents in specific ratios. This composite structure creates a controlled release matrix where the polymer degradation rate controls drug release, achieving extended therapeutic coverage while reducing dosing frequency
2Duration of action of moving object
If invasive procedures are used to achieve extended drug release, then surgical intervention is required, but this increases procedure complexity and patient discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent exploits the phase transition from liquid to gel state through in situ gelation. The injectable formulation remains liquid during administration for easy injection, then transitions to a gel state at the injection site to provide sustained release. This eliminates the need for surgical implantation while achieving extended release duration
Solution Approach 2:
The drug delivery system performs self-service by automatically forming the gel structure after injection without requiring surgical intervention. The in situ gelation occurs spontaneously upon injection, creating the extended-release matrix automatically at the treatment site, reducing both procedural complexity and patient burden
3Duration of action of moving object
If non-biodegradable materials are used for extended release implants, then extended release is achieved, but surgical removal is required and biocompatibility issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the need for surgical removal by using biodegradable polymers that naturally degrade in the body. The polymer matrix is designed to break down into harmless byproducts that are metabolized or excreted, eliminating the foreign body that would require surgical removal while maintaining extended release functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the delivery system to use biodegradable polymers with specific degradation rates. By adjusting polymer molecular weight, composition ratios, and crosslinking density, the system achieves both extended release duration and complete biodegradation, eliminating long-term foreign body presence
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables non-toxic, flexible, and biodegradable formulations that maintain therapeutic levels of drugs for extended periods, improving patient compliance and reducing the frequency of injections, particularly beneficial for diabetes and other chronic conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an alkylphenol
Implementation Method 2
a solvent or a combination of solvents
Implementation Method 3
biodegradable polymer
Implementation Method 4
form a gel in situ
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates generally to injectable drug delivery systems and methods of preparing same, and in particular to drug delivery systems comprising biodegradable polymeric nanogel formulations that form a depot (gel) in the body once injected, and can release therapeutic agents with enhanced extended-release times in the subject being treated. The polymer matrix drug delivery systems of the subject invention are comprised of a biodegradable polymer, a solvent or a combination of solvents, an alkylphenol, and therapeutic agents such as insulin, tetrandrine, other small molecule drugs (preferably hydrophobic drugs) to treat a variety of diseases including diabetes and hearing loss. A preferred alkylphenol is meta cresol which has demonstrated importance for dissolving and stabilizing the therapeutic agents, and forming gels with better shape and controlled drug release after injection.