NanoCrystal® Technology

NanoCrystal Technology Technical Data Sheet, Published by Elan Pharmaceutical, 2004. 

Muller RH, Keck CM (2004), Challenges and solutions for the delivery of biotech drugs - a review of drug nanocrystal technology and lipid nanoparticles, J. Biotechnol. 113 151-170. 

Nanocochleates Nanocrystals [Pg.34]

Figure 1 The NanoCrystal technology. Source. Courtesy of Elan Corporation, Dublin 2, Ireland.

Poorly soluble compounds represent an estimated 60% of compounds in development and many major marketed drugs. It is important to measure and predict solubility and permeability accurately at an early stage, and interpret these data to help assess the potential for the development of the candidates. This requires developing an effective strategy to select the most appropriate tools to examine and improve solubility in each phase of development, optimization of solid-state approaches to enhance solubility including the use of polymorphs, co-crystals, and amorphous solids. All of these would affect the dissolution rates and bioavailability that can be studied with nanocrystal technology. 

Corot, C., Robert, P., Idee, J.M., Port, M. Recent advances in iron oxide nanocrystal technology for medical imaging. Adv. Drug Delivery Rev. 58, 1471-1504 (2006)... 

Nanocrystal Technology Rapamune Sirolimus Oral tablet Elan/Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratory... 

Figure 13.8. Principle of the first drug nanocrystal technology to improve oral bioavailability of class 4 drugs by flooding (upper) and approach of the second generation by combination of drug nanocrystals with inhibitors (lower) (reprinted with permission from Ref. 57).

J.U. Junghanns, R.H. Muller, Nanocrystal technology drug delivery and clinical applications, Int. J. Nanomed., 3 295-309, 2008. 

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