Microfluidics,
a wholly owned subsidiary of Microfluidics International Corporation (OTC Bulletin
Board: MFLU - News), and Particle Sciences Inc. (PSI) have formed a strategic
alliance to help biopharmaceutical companies leverage the most advanced and
reliable nanotechnology and formulation methods available to develop, analyze
and commercialize Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).
Particle Sciences is a leading Contract Research Organization (CRO) founded
in 1991 with a unique specialization in formulation/delivery, analytic services
and clinical trial material (CTM) production. With over 35 scientists holding
more than 100 patents, a comprehensive formulations laboratory, cGMP production
suites and cGMP analytical/bioanalytical capabilities, Particle Sciences has
a solid track record of developing commercializable technologies for companies
ranging from early venture-backed to large pharma.
According to Robert W. Lee, Ph.D., Vice President of Pharmaceutical Development
at Particle Sciences, "We are solution oriented and not married to a specific
platform. Our model is to offer our clients a number of state-of-the-art approaches
using best-of-breed, reproducible and scalable technologies. Delivery formats
range from solid solutions and combination products to particle suspensions
and emulsions. For high shear fluid processing, we settled on the Microfluidizer®
after a thorough evaluation of the competing alternatives. One area of interest
to PSI is adding the Microfluidizer processor to its existing approaches for
particle size reduction of poorly water-soluble APIs to the submicron range,
which is an increasingly important formulation approach for pharmaceutical API
development."
Microfluidizer high shear fluid processors deliver unsurpassed results in uniform
and scalable top-down particle size reduction to over 1,100 biopharmaceutical
companies worldwide. Combining 25 years of proven processing success with PSI's
experience creates a uniquely comprehensive solution portfolio for the Company's
pharmaceutical clients. In addition, Microfluidics Reaction Technology (MRT),
an innovative technique for bottom-up nanoparticle creation and nanoencapsulation
via continuous crystallization and chemical reactions, offers even more possibilities
in novel drug development and will also be incorporated into PSI's offerings.
As part of the non-exclusive agreement, Particle Sciences has installed an
M-110EH-30 Basic BioPharma Microfluidizer processor ideal for nanoemulsions,
nanosuspensions, cell disruption and nanoencapsulation in pilot and production
volumes.
"We believe Microfluidizer processors are the undisputed gold standard
in the pharmaceutical industry, from the lab to clinical research and production,"
said Bill Kober, Vice President of Sales, Americas, at Microfluidics. "With
several well-known drugs on the market, customers use our processors to reduce
particle sizes uniformly, improve bioavailability and target drug delivery.
Through this relationship, our users now have access to our technology combined
with the scientific ingenuity and experience of Particle Sciences. We are excited
to provide a uniquely complete portfolio of solutions for global API research
and development."