SubscribeProsonix Limited (Oxford, UK) is delighted to announce an agreement with the University of Bath (Bath, UK) for the exclusive commercialisation of the University's unique sonocrystallization particle engineering technology Solution Atomisation and Crystallization by Sonication (SAXTM).
The agreement builds on 18 months of initial collaboration and technology evaluation between the parties.
Limitations of conventional crystallization techniques in the processing of pharmaceutical ingredients for a number of dosage forms typically requires the need for micronisation. These low-tech destructive based techniques are expensive, unnecessary and can adversely affect a range of highly important physicochemical properties.
There is an unmet and pressing need to engineer crystalline particles with an even greater control of the surface characteristics and surface geometry of micron and sub-micron sized particles while maintaining high throughput, low cost and industrial scalability.
Alternative processes for the production of drug particles within an optimum particle size range, for example by the use of supercritical fluids, have generated significant interest and potential, albeit with limited success to date. Recent industry announcements raise serious question marks about its scalability and cost effectiveness as the technique requires extremes of pressure, only delivers minimal volume, and can lead to a high degree of amorphous content.
Discovered by Dr Robert Price from the University's Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (http://www.bath.ac.uk/pharmacy/home), SAXTM is a unique single step, solution-to-particle-technology, incorporating solution atomisation and sonocrystallization, that has shown significant potential benefits in the production of particles, particularly for inhaled therapeutics, but also has tremendous potential in production of nanosuspensions and improved particles for other formulation techniques, including pharmaceutical co-crystals and combination based therapies.
The technology allows the production in a well-defined particle size range as well as controlling the macroscopic morphology, including polymorphism, and mesoscopic surface topography. Indeed these properties are invaluable in defining aerodynamic properties of particles, shelf life, stability, bioavailability and efficacy. To this end SAXTM particles can have unique spherical shape and surface nanotopology providing minimum area for interfacial contact with low surface free energies.
Commenting, Prosonix CEO David Hipkiss said,
"We are delighted to have signed this agreement and be working in partnership with Dr Price and the University of Bath in this very exciting and strategically important area. We believe the SAXTM technology has world beating potential in allowing pharmaceutical companies to engineer particles 'to order' with the optimum crystal morphology, polymorph control and formulation performance. The area of inhaled therapeutics is particularly exciting, and SAXTM has a number of significant advantages over current approaches. It is a significant step in our overall goal to make commercially available an automated technology that allows 'dial-a-particle' philosophy to drug delivery.
Adding his approval, Dr Robert Price said,
"It is extremely exciting to be collaborating with Prosonix in developing the SAXTM technology for superior particle engineering of active pharmaceutical ingredients for inhaled therapeutics. Prosonix has tremendous experience, a unique track record and a world leadership position in developing and commercialising sonocrystallization processes and equipment in the pharmaceutical industry. I look forward to seeing SAXTM in commercial operation working extensively with Prosonix in the years ahead."
3rd October 2006