EU grant for study of drug uptake in the intestine

Christel Bergström, Associate Professor of
Pharmaceutics. Photo: David Naylor

Uppsala University has won the prestigious grant in international competition. In total, 76 top researchers receive ERC proof-of-concept grants in this round and Christel Bergström is the only researcher at a Swedish university. The grant is EUR 150,000.

Oral administration of drugs is the method of choice for patients and healthcare providers alike because it is both convenient and inexpensive. Most drug candidates need advanced formulation strategies to allow them to be developed as tablets or capsules.

One approach is to make use of lipids. To date only about 4% of commercial drug products involve formulations using lipids. This is partly because it is difficult to characterise performance after oral intake using simple lab-bench models and extensive animal studies are needed to identify which product is best.

In an ongoing ERC project, Bergström and her colleagues have developed a device to simultaneously assess digestion and uptake of drugs formulated with lipids.

In the DINAMIC project, a small-scale lab-bench intestine based on simulated intestinal fluids with digestive capability combined with cell-based models will be explored for its potential role in the pharma and biotech industry. The technical and commercial feasibility of the device will be assessed, including development of a prototype that meets the needs of target customers, as well as the commercial proof-of-concept identifying the best route for commercialisation.