Drug Delivery Technologies

Bioavailability Enhancement > Screening Systems
         
 
Physica Pharma has set up a unique screening system which accelerates the process of formulation selection. This selection method is based on the identification of several physical and biological parameters.
 
         
  Physicochemical Screening system      
         
 

Solubility testing

Adequate aqueous solubility is critical to the success of a potential drug candidate. Poor aqueous solubility may limit the route of administration of a new compound and hamper analysis in other assays.

We determine aqueous solubility using filtration method. Compounds are solubilized in a minimum volume of water-miscible solvents in the biological mediums then added to the medium of study in the donor compartment. After incubation under various conditions of temperature, the medium of study is filtered then analyzed in UV.

   
         
 

Permeability testing

A compound's lipophilicity governs how fast it crosses cell membranes and the extent that it will partition out of plasma and intestinal fluid. It is a critical determinant of intestinal permeability.

We determine lipophilicity using the PAMPA method (Parallel Artificial Membrane Permeation Assay) designed to predict the permeability of compounds absorbed by passive diffusion of intestinal epithelium. We measure the capacity of a compound to diffuse from a donor compartment towards an acceptor compartment separated by an artificial bio-membrane. After incubation, the acceptor compartment is analyzed by UV spectroscopy.

   
         
 

Diagnosis

The above information helps to determine the drug profile in term of solubility / permeability and to predict its absorption.
     
         
  Biological Screening System      
         
 
Physica Pharma has developed in vitro cell systems which are used to simulate drug transport across biological barriers. The formulation prototypes are screened using biological membranes, thus permitting the detection of the most promising candidates for pre-clinical trials.
 
         
 

Gastrointestinal Absorption

Physica Pharma uses a model of the intestinal mucosa based on the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2.
These cell culture models allow the permeability and metabolic processes to be examined rapidly under controlled conditions.
   
         
 

Nasal mucosa absorption

In the same manner, Physica Pharma has developed nasal cell models.