Liquidia creates tiny particles to deliver drugs

The technology results in an unprecedented control over the shape, size and composition of material. The particles produced are made from bioabsorbable organic materials creating a nontoxic method of transporting vaccines and therapies.

The innovative process has widespread pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications for drug formulation, drug delivery, medical imaging and disease detection, in addition to non-medical nanotechnology applications such as sensors, taggants, ink jet printing, semiconductors and microelectronics.

The technology, termed Particle Replication In Nonwetting Templates, enables fabrication of custom-sized, monodispersed and shape-specific particles of virtually any material and encapsulating nearly any active cargo. This includes delicate substances, biological agents and small molecules, which can then be delivered through a full range of injectable, pulmonary, topical and oral methods.

Applications are expected to have a profound positive impact on human health care in areas such as oncology and biodefense.

“Nanoparticle fabrication, until now, has focused on inorganic materials such as metals that involve harsh manufacturing methods and often is not useful for medical applications. This breakthrough allows for the production of nanoparticles that contain fragile organic matter such as genes or drug products,” explained Joseph DeSimone, co-founder of Liquidia Technologies.