Pharmaceutical material design and engineering

This research stream aims to focus towards widely exploiting pharmaceutical material engineering within design of dosage forms and drug product processing. The emphasis will be in rational and science-based functionalization/ manipulation of molecular, solid-state, surface and particulate properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients and formulations utilizing integrated physical, chemical and engineering principles. Further efforts will be given for (re) defining, improving and modernizing physicochemical characterization methodologies, in silico / in vitro assays for predicting/ evaluating of pharmaceutical performance, processing and stability of drug product. The key areas of pharmaceutical material engineering will target immediate and controlled drug delivery through ORAL and PULMONARY routes. State-of-the art technologies such as spray drying, hot melt extrusion, mechano-activation will be predominantly exploited. Entire research domains will include relevant computer-aided material design methodologies (molecular modelling, MD simulations etc.) Highlights: Stabilization of amorphous and nano- formulations for poorly water soluble drug Multi-component crystalline solids as formulation engineering principles for improved oral and pulmonary drug delivery Exploitation and establishment of predictive models for miscibility, phase behaviour/ transformations, stability and supersaturation potentials, mechanical properties to aid rational formulation design Pharmaceutical material science dedicated to advanced manufacturing: Eg. Developing properties in pharmaceutical materials for efficient/ continuous processing (low dose processability, anti-segregation) and harmonization of material properties assessment