Improving the productivity of topical drug delivery through in situ academic entrepreneurship

这次借调将使申请人能够与Biox系统有限公司密切合作，评估一种新的测量技术的可行性。这项技术将用于测量皮肤对药物的吸收。这种测量对于支持皮肤病学、疼痛缓解、皮肤感染治疗、伤口愈合和疫苗接种等外用药物的开发至关重要。该技术还可用于消费者护肤品的开发，以及皮肤暴露于职业和环境污染物的风险评估。局部给药具有广阔的市场，2019年全球销售额为932亿美元。在这个领域，英国拥有许多生物医学企业，专门从事药物开发、输送设备、合同研究和制造、创新仪器等，并进一步得到公共和私人资金支持的充满活力的研究基地的支持。在临床前研究和临床试验中，局部药物的开发依赖于药物进入皮肤的测量。然而，目前缺乏低成本、非侵入性的测量仪器。现有的侵入性和非侵入性方法耗时、昂贵且劳力密集。这种测量能力上的差距是局部药物开发效率低下的主要原因，因此也是患者成本高的主要原因。借调将利用申请人在皮肤渗透研究，计算建模和工程技能方面的专业知识，并得到Biox在皮肤测量方面20年创新的支持。创新的基础将是通过吸收药物成分修饰皮肤的介电常数原理。该项目将使用计算机建模和实验方法来提高对测量过程的理解，并评估这项技术的技术和商业可行性。该项目将提供成果、知识产权、专有技术和工具，可用于下一阶段的研发，以实现可行的产品和服务。申请人将参与Biox的商业活动，学习将创新技术转化为成功的商业产品和服务所需的必要步骤。借调将对申请人进一步发展成为一名领先的工业导向科学家和学术企业家至关重要。Biox将受益于被申请人在局部给药方面的专业知识，以大大降低风险加速他们的研发。该项目将有可能产生有助于提高制药业效率和生产力的技术，最终在新的、更有效和更便宜的药物方面造福社会。

This secondment will enable the applicant to closely collaborate with Biox Systems Ltd in assessing the feasibility of a new measurement technology. The technology will be used to measure skin absorption of pharmaceuticals. Such measurement is critical to support the development of topical drugs in, for example, dermatology, pain relief, skin infection treatment, wound healing, and vaccination. The technology could also be used for the development of consumer skin care products, and for risk assessment of skin exposure to occupational and environmental pollutants.Topical drug delivery has a vast market with global sales of USD93.2 bn in 2019\. In this space, the UK is host to many biomedical businesses specialising in drug development, delivery devices, contract research and manufacturing, innovative instruments, etc., further underpinned by a vibrant research base supported by public and private funding. Topical drug development relies on measurement of drug delivery into the skin in both preclinical research and clinical trials. However, there is a lack of low-cost, non-invasive instruments for such measurement. Existing invasive and non-invasive approaches are time-consuming, expensive and labour-intensive. This gap in measurement capability is a major contributor to the low efficiency associated with topical drug development, and thus a major cause of the high cost to patients.The secondment will exploit the applicant's expertise in skin penetration research, computational modelling and engineering skills, supported by Biox's 20 years' innovation in skin measurement. The basis for innovation will be the principle of dielectric permittivity of skin as modified by absorbed drug ingredients. The project will use computer modelling and experimental methods to improve understanding of the measurement process and evaluate the technical and commercial feasibility of this technology. The project will deliver results, IP, know-how and tools that could be used in the next-stage of R&D towards a viable product and service.The applicant will participate in Biox's commercial activities to learn the necessary steps required to translate innovative technologies into successful commercial products and services. The secondment will be a critical enabler for the applicant to develop further as a leading industry-orientated scientist and academic entrepreneur. Biox will benefit from the secondee's expertise in topical drug delivery to accelerate their R&D with much reduced risk. The project will have the potential to produce technologies that can help improve the efficiency and productivity of the pharmaceutical industry, ultimately benefiting the society in terms of new, more effective and inexpensive medicines.