Rahul Dev Jayant, PhD

Rahul Dev Jayant, assistant professor in the Department of Immunology, has received a $25,000 grant from The Campbell Foundation in Ft. Lauderdale to continue his research on sustained-release nanoformulation to deliver antiretroviral (ARV) medication for patients living with HIV/AIDS.

Using FIU patented nanotechnology, Jayant, a researcher at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicines Center for Personalized Nanomedicine, has successfully integrated Tenofovir, an antiretroviral drug used to fight HIV, into a long-active nanoformulation thatcan release the medication for up to one week.

Now, with the generous help from The Campbell Foundation, we will be working toward the development of single-dose formulation that can release the ARV drugs up to one month, Jayant said.

Bill Venuti and Ken Rapkin (first and third from right) of The Campbell Foundation present the $25K check to the Immunology Department team.

Sustained release of antiretroviral medication has the potential to be a game changer for many people living with HIV/AIDS who may have trouble adhering to the daily pill dosing that current treatments require.

The Campbell Foundation has been funding cutting-edge research into a cure for HIV since its creation in 1995 by the late Richard Campbell Zahn, the chemist who developed Herpecin-L Lip Balm for the treatment of cold sores and fever blisters.

These fast-track grants to South Florida-based researchers show our Board of Directors ongoing commitment to addressing HIV/AIDS right here in our own backyard, said Campbell Foundation Trustee Bill Venuti.

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Researcher awarded grant for HIV/AIDS drug study - FIU News