8APRIL 2024TECH OUTLOOKIN MY OPINIONDRUG DELIVERY AS A THERAPEUTIC ENABLING TECHNOLOGYBy Vincent Ling, Senior Director, Center for External Innovation (Business Development), TakedaHistory - Traditional pharmaceutical research centers on the invention and development of new drug modalities. The pharmaceuticals industry had its roots in the chemical industry and hence small molecule drugs were the dominant class of therapeutics. In the past 30 years, many other substances have entered into the therapeutic space, most notably: nucleic acids (ASO, mRNA, DNA), biologics (proteins, peptides, antibodies), and cell / gene therapies (CAR-T, transplant / cell regeneration, viral vectors). Each of these modalities has vastly different size and chemical properties that pose a unique challenge for development. After the selection of the most potent candidate best-suited for the clinic, the drug compound is most often formulated for systemic delivery, either by tableting or by liquid injection ­ unless topical delivery is desired. Systemic delivery systems result in exposure of the body to the drug as it courses through the blood stream, and results in side effects and dose limiting toxicity. Such negative outcomes contribute to the high failure rates of drug candidates in clinical trials. One can envision a future where off-target effects may be lessened by implementing refined drug delivery systems developed alongside the drug candidate. In recent years, the critical role of drug delivery systems was recognized at a global scale by the Covid-19 vaccines. Lipid nanoparticles were used to encapsulate the nucleic acid payload and to create the necessary immune response to help repel further exposure to virus. The world of drug delivery goes much further than formulation, as each drug class mentioned above can benefit from advanced drug delivery technologies as mentioned below.Vincent Ling
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