SBIR-STTR Award

The delivery of drugs to targeted sites has been suggested to improve the efficacy of treatment while decreasing systemic side effects. Magnetically targeted carriers (MTCs) are microparticles composed of metallic iron and activated carbon capable of binding a wide variety of pharmaceutical agents. An externally applied magnetic field is used to aid in particle localization and retention at the targeted site. FeRx proposes to further explore the benefits of their MTC technology by studying delivery of MTCs to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract for the treatment of disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and GI cancer. Currently these GI diseases are difficult to treat due to the poor side-effect profiles of existing therapies. The therapeutic usefulness of MTCs in the GI tract will be evaluated by optimizing the MTC particles to facilitate delivery and maximize absorption and retention in the 01 tract. Drugs currently used for IBD and colon cancer will be evaluated for binding to MTCs. The site-specific in vivo absorption and retention of MTCs in the GI tract will be determined in a rodent model. We predict that this novel method of delivering drugs to the GI tract will significantly advance treatment of GI diseases. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The technology will be used to target disease in the gastrointestinal track.