International collaboration to develop ultrasound-activated drug-delivery nanoparticles

Nanobiotix, an emerging nanomedicine company has announced that it will collaborate with the SonoDrugs project consortium to develop new nanoparticulate drug carriers that can be activated for localized drug release using focused ultrasound.

The SonoDrugs project consortium includes 15 industry partners, university medical centres, and academic institutions from throughout the EU and has a budget of €15.9 million. The four-year project aims to maximize the therapeutic efficiency and minimize the side effects of drug treatments for cardiovascular disease and cancer, the first and second-leading causes of death in the European Union (EU).

The SonoDrugs collaboration aims to develop new materials and drug nanocarrier systems for improved localized drug delivery that can be activated by ultrasound waves. MRI and ultrasound will be used to visualize and guide the drug-delivery process and also to provide immediate feedback on the success of the procedure, enabling adjustment and fine-tuning of the therapeutic intervention.

This novel approach to localized drug delivery requires close collaboration of material science, clinical imaging and pharmaceutical technology, which is expected to lead to new scientific capabilities, medical products and therapy solutions for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

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~ by vascoteixeira on February 20, 2009.