Nanoparticle oral drug delivery systems show promise for biotech firm

Drug company NOD Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s application to the US Patent and Trademark office for a patent for a nanoparticle drug carrying method has been allowed, the company says.

The biotech firm specializes in developing bioadhesive nanoparticles to admister drugs orally that would normally be delivered by injection.The delivery technology can be used in administering drugs for chronic diseases, such as insulin and interferon in the treatment of diabetes, which is normally controlled by multiple daily injections. Oral delivery of the drugs would be more convenient, more effective and have less side effects and would also be more marketable, according to the company.

The technolody could also be effective for delivering oral formulations of other bioactive drugs in the treatment of kidney and bone marrow diseases (with the drug erythopeietin), the treatment of several types of leukemias and melanoma (with interferon) and for delivering human growth hormones for growth hormone disorders.

Nanoparticle drug delivery systems are one of the most promising strategies for treating many diseases, medical experts say.

"Patent allowance for NOD technology is a major step forward for NOD," said William Lee, CEO of NOD Pharmaceuticals in a statement.

http://www.nodpharm.com/