RESEARCH TRIANGLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Global technology leaders will descend upon North Carolina for the Nanotech Commercialization Conference (NCC) http://www.nanoevent.org, hosted by the Center of Innovation for Nanobiotechnology (COIN), the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association (NanoBCA) and the North Carolina Office of Science & Technology. Corporate, investor, start-up and academic leaders will all be in attendance at this cutting edge event in Durham, NC, April 4th-5th, 2012.

Nanotechnology is rapidly transforming industries from medicine to manufacturing to energy. Since the passage of the 21st Century Nanotechnology R&D Act, the U.S. has spent $24 billion in the science of nanotechnology. The science is rapidly becoming the business of nanotechnology, creating thousands of new start-ups, bolstering nearly every industry across the globe, and bringing life changing innovations to market that already improve lives around the world.

We are honored to host an event of this caliber in North Carolina, which is attracting nanotech leaders from around the globe. It reflects the growing awareness of and interest in North Carolinas world-class nanotech cluster, said Griffith Kundahl, Executive Director of COIN.

Topics to be addressed during the conference sessions include:

A complete conference agenda can be found here - http://www.nanoevent.org/node/7.

We have assembled a tremendous lineup of keynote speakers for our premier event, which has already become the largest Nanotechnology conference in the South, said Vincent Caprio, Executive Director of the NanoBCA.

The conference will feature a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers, including:

In addition, the Nanotech Commercialization Conference has been structured to facilitate networking with fellow professionals, and keeping up with the cutting edge of nano. The event will be held in the historic Bay 7 Meeting and Event Facility at the American Tobacco Campus http://www.americantobaccohistoricdistrict.com/rent-bay-7.html, 318 Blackwell Street, Durham, North Carolina 27701.

Sponsors for the NCC include: Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering (JSNN), Kymanox, RTI International, Carlyle & Conlan, Gateway University Research Park, Poyner Spruill, MBHB, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte Research Institute, Nanoscale Science, Zeiss, CMG Partners, Prasidiux, Electricities, Wyrick Robbins, Square 1 Bank, East Carolina University, Research Triangle Region, BLNC. This is a partial list of Sponsors. Click here http://www.nanoevent.org/node/25 for a complete list.

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Nanotech Commercialization Conference Announces Keynote Lineup

01-03-2012 01:12 Dr. Lin's presentation focused on early detection and targeted therapy of pancreatic cancer employing magnetic resonance, molecular imaging and nano medicine.

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Dr. Lin - Early Detection

Concord, NH - This year from March 24 through April 1, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center will be celebrating Nano Days, the largest event for the smallest of sciences, with activities for all ages that explore nanoscience.

Nano Days is a nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering. Nano Days is organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net), and takes place nationally from March 24-April 1, 2012. This community-based event is the largest public outreach effort in nanoscale informal science education and involves science museums, research centers, and universities from Puerto Rico to Alaska. A range of exciting Nano Days programs demonstrate the special and unexpected properties found at the nanoscale, examine tools used by nanoscientists, showcase nano materials with spectacular promise, and invite discussion of technology and society.

The local community can experience many of these activities firsthand. Visitors will make some of their own nanomaterials using scotch-tape, investigate super thin materials used in solar cell technology, and change the color of a butterfly's wings! Other activities include an I Spy Nano game, taking a look at real nano gold, investigating the properties of sunblock, and discovering the reason for the rainbow of colors produced by thin film.

At the nanoscale the scale of atoms and molecules many common materials exhibit unusual properties. Our ability to manipulate matter at this size enables innovations that weren't possible before. Nanotechnology is revolutionizing research and development in medicine, computer technology, new materials, food, energy, and other areas. Nano will affect our economy, environment, and our personal lives. Some scientists think that future nanotechnologies and materials could transform our lives as much as cars, personal computers, or the internet. Visit http://www.nisenet.org/nanodays for more information about Nano Days and NISE Net.

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center features 21st century interactive exhibits on aviation, astronomy, Earth and space sciences, a state-of-the-art planetarium and a variety of science, technology, engineering and math programs. The engaging, robust educational programs are geared towards families, teens, seniors, students, community groups, and lifelong learners. More information can be found at http://www.starhop.com.

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8220Nano Days8221 Comes to New Hampshire

01-02-2012 05:31 Students Santosh Boddupalli, Sandeep Gandham, Swathi Jokkapur, and Chandana Chintalapani give a presentation on "Nanomedicine" during their Global Technology class. (Group 5 Presentation.)

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Nanomedicine - Full - Video

NEW YORK -- Researchers are reporting the first treatment to speed recovery from severe brain injuries caused by falls and car crashes: a cheap flu medicine whose side benefits were discovered by accident decades ago.

Severely injured patients who were given amantadine got better faster than those who received a dummy medicine. After four weeks, more people in the flu drug group could give reliable yes-and-no answers, follow commands or use a spoon or hairbrush -- things that few of them could do at the start. Far fewer patients who got amantadine remained in a vegetative state, 17 percent versus 32 percent.

"This drug moved the needle in terms of speeding patient recovery, and that's not been shown before," said neuropsychologist Joseph Giacino of Boston's Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, co-leader of the study. He added: "It really does provide hope for a population that is viewed in many places as hopeless."

Many doctors began using amantadine for brain injuries years ago, but until now there's never been a big study to show that it works. The results of the federally funded study appear in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

Each year, an estimated 1.7 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury. About three-quarters are concussions or other mild forms that heal over time. But about 52,000 people with brain injuries die each year and 275,000 are hospitalized, many with persistent, debilitating injuries, according to government figures.

Amantadine, an inexpensive generic, was approved for the flu in the mid-1960s.

The study was done in the U.S., Denmark and Germany and involved 184 severely disabled patients, about 36 years old on average. About a third were in a vegetative state, meaning unconscious but with periods of wakefulness. The rest were minimally conscious, showing some signs of awareness. They were treated one to four months after getting injured, a period when a lot of patients get better on their own, Giacino noted.

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Flu drug speeds up brain recovery

By STEPHANIE NANO Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Researchers are reporting the first treatment to speed recovery from severe brain injuries caused by falls and car crashes: a cheap flu medicine whose side benefits were discovered by accident decades ago.

Severely injured patients who were given amantadine got better faster than those who received a dummy medicine. After four weeks, more people in the flu drug group could give reliable yes-and-no answers, follow commands or use a spoon or hairbrush - things that few of them could do at the start. Far fewer patients who got amantadine remained in a vegetative state, 17 percent versus 32 percent.

"This drug moved the needle in terms of speeding patient recovery, and that's not been shown before," said neuropsychologist Joseph Giacino of Boston's Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, co-leader of the study. He added: "It really does provide hope for a population that is viewed in many places as hopeless."

Many doctors began using amantadine for brain injuries years ago, but until now there's never been a big study to show that it works. The results of the federally funded study appear in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

A neurologist who wasn't involved in the research called it an important step. But many questions remain, including whether people less severely injured would benefit, and whether amantadine actually improves patients' long-term outcome or just speeds up their recovery.

Each year, an estimated 1.7 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury. Falls, car crashes, colliding with or getting hit by an object, and assaults are the leading causes. About three-quarters are concussions or other mild forms that heal over time. But about 52,000 people with brain injuries die each year and 275,000 are hospitalized, many with persistent, debilitating injuries, according to government figures.

With no proven remedies to rely on, doctors have used a variety of medicines approved for other ailments in the hopes that they would help brain injury patients. Those decisions are based on "hunches and logic rather than data," said Dr. John Whyte, of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute in suburban Philadelphia. He led the study along with Giacino.

Amantadine (uh-MAN'-tah-deen), an inexpensive generic, was approved for the flu in the mid-1960s. The first inkling that it might have other uses came a few years later when it appeared to improve Parkinson's symptoms in nursing home patients who got it. It was found to have an effect on the brain's dopamine system, whose many functions include movement and alertness, and it was later approved for Parkinson's.

It's now commonly used for brain injuries, and the researchers felt it was important to find out "whether we're treating patients with a useful drug, a harmful drug or a useless drug," Whyte said.

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Hometownstations.com-WLIO- Lima, OH News Weather SportsStudy: Old flu drug speeds brain injury recovery

By STEPHANIE NANO Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Researchers are reporting the first treatment to speed recovery from severe brain injuries caused by falls and car crashes: a cheap flu medicine whose side benefits were discovered by accident decades ago.

Severely injured patients who were given amantadine got better faster than those who received a dummy medicine. After four weeks, more people in the flu drug group could give reliable yes & no answers, follow commands or use a spoon or hairbrush - things that few of them could do at the start. Far fewer patients who got amantadine remained in a vegetative state, 17% versus 32%.

"This drug moved the needle in terms of speeding patient recovery, and that's not been shown before," said neuropsychologist Joseph Giacino of Boston's Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, co-leader of the study. He added: "It really does provide hope for a population that is viewed in many places as hopeless."

Many doctors began using amantadine for brain injuries years ago, but until now there's never been a big study to show that it works. The results of the federally funded study appear in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

A neurologist who wasn't involved in the research called it an important step. But many questions remain, including whether people less severely injured would benefit, and whether amantadine actually improves patients' long-term outcome or just speeds up their recovery.

Each year, an estimated 1.7 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury. Falls, car crashes, colliding with or getting hit by an object, and assaults are the leading causes. About three-quarters are concussions or other mild forms that heal over time. But about 52,000 people with brain injuries die each year and 275,000 are hospitalized, many with persistent, debilitating injuries, according to government figures.

With no proven remedies to rely on, doctors have used a variety of medicines approved for other ailments in the hopes that they would help brain injury patients. Those decisions are based on "hunches and logic rather than data," said Dr. John Whyte, of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute in suburban Philadelphia. He led the study along with Giacino.

Amantadine (uh-MAN'-tah-deen), an inexpensive generic, was approved for the flu in the mid-1960s. The first inkling that it might have other uses came a few years later when it appeared to improve Parkinson's symptoms in nursing home patients who got it. It was found to have an effect on the brain's dopamine system, whose many functions include movement and alertness, and it was later approved for Parkinson's.

It's now commonly used for brain injuries, and the researchers felt it was important to find out "whether we're treating patients with a useful drug, a harmful drug or a useless drug," Whyte said.

The rest is here:
Study: Old flu drug speeds brain injury recovery

12th State conference of Jana Vignana Vedika gets under way

The percentage of GDP allocated for promotion of science has registered a negligible increase from 0.8 last year to 0.9 now. This is despite political leaders promising to increase it substantially.

Making this observation at the 12th State conference of the Jana Vignana Vedika here on Sunday, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology Director Ch. Mohan Rao said lack of proper funding was lamentable. He said scientific temper should be promoted among people. He, however, cautioned going against any religion.

He spoke at length on biological approaches, reconstructing Indian population, rice and its proteins, and peptides and nanotechnology.

The scientist presented a glimpse of future medicine, which is individualised, nano encapsulated novel drug, cell-based therapy, gene therapy, and nano robotic clinical procedure.

Superstitions

JVV first president Vinod Kumar Gaur said: “India is known as a great country since time immemorial as it has scientific researches and unity.” But superstitions, which emerged recently, ruined the country, he told the delegates. People in general need to improve themselves by knowing more about science and implement its principles in their lives.    

Vignan Prasar member T.V. Venkateswaran from New Delhi gave a lecture on the emergence of mathematics and said that 2012 was declared as National Year of Mathematics to coincide with the 125th birth anniversary of Father of Mathematics, Ramanujam.

Statistics

He gave a statistics on how mathematics transformed and how mathematicians suffered in proving the existence of the subject. “Mathematics is vital for the existence of science in the world,” he opined.

The State conference was attended by persons such as MLCs – K.S. Lakshmana Rao, Ilapuram Venkaiah, V. Balasubramanyum, and Geyanand, professor A. Ramachandraiah, general secretary of All-India People's Science Network T. Gangadharan, and members of the Jana Vignana Vedika.

The members were happy at the successful inaugural of the conference and hoped it would celebrate silver jubilee very soon.

Krishna District Collector S.A.M. Rizvi, formally launching the conference, called upon the members of the JVV to dispel the superstitions among people and educate them on scientific principles.

Speaking on the occasion, he said superstitions had become a hindrance in the development of society.

He spoke about a recent incident where a man sacrificed a 14-year-old boy for hidden treasure.

JVV State president B.N. Reddy awareness programmes were organised on seven aspects such as education, pollution, agriculture, environment, women empowerment, science, and liquor.

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Allocation for science promotion negligible, says CCMB Director

14-02-2012 06:19 A new microrocket is fueled by acid, creating hydrogen bubbles that propel it forward.

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Motion in Acid - Video

Your office is now under siege from the flu.

One worker down. Then, bang, your buddy in the next cubicle.

How can you combat the seasonal body count? Perhaps, one day, with guided nano rockets small enough to be injected into the body - each carrying a payload of medicine.

Researchers at Radbound University Nijmegen in Holland, say they have made strides in creating smart, self-fuelled delivery pods that could target disease like a missile hones in on an enemy position.

Media in Europe on Tuesday likened it to the shrunken vessel Proteus in the 1966 sci-fi movie Fantastic Voyage. With miniaturized crew onboard, they try to clear a blood clot in a scientist.

And head researcher Professor Jan van Hest tells QMI Agency that likeness -- minus Raquel Welch and crew -- doesn't make him laugh.

"In fact the comparison is not that far off," wrote van Hest in an e-mail exchange, explaining the nano-system works like a rocket, complete with a motor that can combust fuel.

The gas escapes the nano-rocket only from one side, which results in a thrust that makes the rocket move forward fast -- travelling a distance of more than 100 times its own length in a second.

But van Hest cautioned controlling medicine delivery pods in an actual human is still science fiction.

"We first aim to develop this technology for diagnostics applications outside of the human body," he said

Excerpt from:
Nano-rockets carrying medicine through body closer to reality

29-01-2012 16:19

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Nanomedicine Release of neurological drugs - Video

Home > News > kerala-news

Kochi, Feb 21 : Promising new lease on life to cancer patients across the world, a young scientist from Kerala has developed a cost effective and less toxic nano medicine to cure cancer.

The medicine is claimed to be very effective for oral, brain and pancreatic cancers and is also cost effective with minimum side effects compared to existing drugs in the market.

The medicine begins to work within 48 hours after being injected into a patient and 90 per cent of it would accumlate in the cancer tissue compared to other medicines, Dr Manszoor Koyakutty, who developed the medicine told UNI.

In contrast to the present system of photo therapy, where the medicine passes though the entire body of a patient, instead of the affected part and the patient prohibited to light for one month as it turns toxic, the new medicine is named as photo dynamic therapy.

It is 60 per cent cheaper than photo therapy system, which costs Rs 6000 per dose. A patient has to take a minimum of four doses, he said. (UNI)

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06-02-2012 20:07 Video abstract of original research paper "Nano-TiO2/PEEK bioactive composite as a bone substitute material: in vitro and in vivo studies" published in the International Journal of Nanomedicine by Xiaomian Wu, Xiaochen Liu, Jie Wei, et al.

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28101 video abstract - Video

01-02-2012 05:27 Students Santosh Boddupalli, Sandeep Gandham, Swathi Jokkapur, and Chandana Chintalapani give a presentation on "Nanomedicine" during their Global Technology class. (Group 5 Presentation.) (Part 2 of 2.)

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Nanomedicine - Part 2 - Video

Medication via remote-control instead of a shot? Scientists implanted microchips in seven women that did just that, oozing out the right dose of a bone-strengthening drug once a day without them even noticing.

Implanted medicine is a hot field, aiming to help patients better stick to their medications and to deliver those drugs straight to the body part that needs them.

But Thursday's study is believed to be the first attempt at using a wirelessly controlled drug chip in people. If this early-stage testing eventually pans out, the idea is that doctors one day might program dose changes from afar with the push of a button, or time them for when the patient is sleeping to minimise side effects.

The implant initially is being studied to treat severe bone-thinning osteoporosis. But it could be filled with other types of medication, said co-inventor Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

'It's like Star Trek,' said Langer, referring to a science fiction television series. He co-authored the study appearing on Thursday in the journal, Science Translational Medicine. 'Just send a signal over a special radio wave, and out comes the drug.'

Today's medication implants continuously emit their drugs until they run dry. One example is a coin-sized wafer that oozes chemotherapy directly onto the site of a surgically removed brain tumour, targeting any remaining cancer cells. Another is a contraceptive rod that is implanted in the arm and releases hormones to prevent pregnancy.

A next step would be more sophisticated implants that release one dose at a time, programmable to skip or add a dose as needed, said biomedical engineer Ellis Meng of the University of Southern California.

Meng was not involved with the MIT study but also is developing this kind of technology, and called Thursday's report 'an important milestone'.

Women with severe osteoporosis sometimes are prescribed daily injections of the bone-building drug teriparatide, known by the brand, Forteo. But many quit taking it because of the hassle of the shots.

In the study, the microchip held doses of that drug inside tiny wells that are sealed shut with a nano-thin layer of gold. Sending a wireless signal causes the gold on an individual well to dissolve, allowing that dose to diffuse into the bloodstream, Langer explained.

In a doctor's-office procedure, the microchip was implanted just below the waistline into eight women with osteoporosis in Denmark. Testing found one microchip wasn't responding to the signals. The other seven women had their implants programmed to automatically emit a once-a-day dose beginning eight weeks later.

The chips could have begun working right away, said Robert Farra, chief executive of MicroCHIPS Inc, a Massachusetts company that has licensed the device and funded the study. But animal research showed a scar tissue-like membrane forms around the pacemaker-sized implant. So he waited until that blockage formed to signal the first of 20 once-a-day doses to begin, to see if the drug could get through.

Blood testing showed the implant delivered the drug as effectively as the women's usual daily injections, and the device appeared to be safe, the researchers reported.

It will take large-scale studies to prove the implant works as well as the long-used shots, cautioned osteoporosis specialist Dr Ethel Siris of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University.

'They're a long way from proving that this mode of administration is going to work,' she said. But it's an intriguing idea because 'it's daunting to have to take a daily shot'.

Farra said his company hopes to begin a larger-scale test, using a chip that can hold 365 doses, in 2014. While doses of this osteoporosis medicine typically are not adjusted, he said, the eventual goal is for patients to carry a mobile phone-sized device that would provide wireless feedback to the doctor who programs their implants.

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Remote-control chip delivers drug

01-02-2012 05:21 Students Santosh Boddupalli, Sandeep Gandham, Swathi Jokkapur, and Chandana Chintalapani give a presentation on "Nanomedicine" during their Global Technology class. (Group 5 Presentation.) (Part 1 of 2.)

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Nanomedicine - Part 1 - Video

Public release date: 17-Feb-2012
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Contact: Lindsay Brooke
Lindsay.brooke@nottingham.ac.uk
44-011-595-15751
University of Nottingham

The University of Nottingham spin-out company, Critical Pharmaceuticals, has announced a ?545,000 collaboration with the University to develop a nano-enabled intranasal formulation of teriparatide for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis affects an estimated 75 million people in Europe, US and Japan with more than 180,000 patients suffer fragility fractures in the UK alone each year, at a cost of around ?2 billion to the NHS.

Teriparatide, an excellent recent addition to the range of drugs used for the treatment of osteoporosis, but it currently needs to be injected every day. The consortium will exploit a recent discovery in nanotechnology to develop a nasal spray formulation of teriparatide that is easy to administer by patients and provides optimal drug plasma levels to enhance efficacy.

The Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are supporting this project with grant funding as part of their investment in nanoscale technology-enabled solutions in healthcare.

Critical Pharmaceuticals CriticalSorb? nanotechnology is a best in class absorption promoter that enables the nasal delivery of biological and challenging small molecule drugs. Biological drugs represent a $100 billion market, and yet nearly all need to be administered by frequent injection. CriticalSorb? has the potential to transform the delivery of biological drugs by enabling non-invasive delivery that would be strongly preferred by patients. Critical Pharmaceuticals lead product is a nasal formulation of human growth hormone (CP024) that uses CriticalSorb? and is currently in phase 1 clinical development.

Critical Pharmaceuticals is an emerging biotechnology company. CEO, Dr Gareth King, said: "We are excited about working with internationally-recognised clinicians and scientists at The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust to rapidly develop this highly innovative formulation of teriparatide and look forward to the day we can offer it as an attractive alternative to daily injection for the many older people living with osteoporosis".

The University of Nottingham has world-leading capabilities in clinical and basic research in osteoporosis, geriatric care, bone pathophysiology and medical imaging. The use of University expertise for imaging drug deposition and clearance will greatly enhance the development of this formulation. This project will draw on interdisciplinary collaborative research from international experts Dr Richard Pearson (Division of Orthopaedic & Accident Surgery), Professor Alan Perkins (Division of Radiological and Imaging Sciences) and Professor Tahir Masud (Geriatric Medicine).

Dr Richard Pearson, Senior Research Fellow in The University of Nottingham's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, said "I'm delighted to collaborate on this project that will enable us to further develop the world-leading research and development capability at The University of Nottingham for the evaluation of drugs for osteoporosis and to work closely with Critical Pharmaceuticals scientists on the development of an exciting new therapy for this debilitating disease".

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Nano-enabled nasal spray for osteoporosis

29-01-2012 11:34 For more than 50 years from JFK to President Obama the United States has been planning to colonize the Moon.

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One Way Trip to the Moon - Video

The Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) provide grant funding to support the £545,000 project.

Nottingham / B3C newswire / - Critical Pharmaceuticals, an emerging biotechnology company, and The University of Nottingham today announce a £545,000 collaboration to develop a nano-enabled intranasal formulation of teriparatide for the treatment of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects an estimated 75 million people in Europe, US and Japan with more than 180,000 patients suffer fragility fractures in the UK alone each year, at a cost of around £2 billion to the NHS.

Teriparatide, an excellent recent addition to the range of drugs used for the treatment of osteoporosis, but it currently needs to be injected every day. Our consortium will exploit a recent discovery in nanotechnology to develop a nasal spray formulation of teriparatide that is easy to administer by patients and provides optimal drug plasma levels to enhance efficacy.

The Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are supporting this project with grant funding as part of their investment in nanoscale technology-enabled solutions in healthcare.

Critical Pharmaceuticals CriticalSorb™ nanotechnology is a best in class absorption promoter that enables the nasal delivery of biological and challenging small molecule drugs. Biological drugs represent a $100 billion market, and yet nearly all need to be administered by frequent injection. CriticalSorb™ has the potential to transform the delivery of biological drugs by enabling non-invasive delivery that would be strongly preferred by patients. Critical Pharmaceuticals lead product is a nasal formulation of human growth hormone (CP024) that uses CriticalSorb™ and is currently in phase 1 clinical development.

Dr Gareth King, CEO Critical Pharmaceuticals said "We are excited about working with internationally-recognized clinicians and scientists at The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust to rapidly develop this highly innovative formulation of teriparatide and look forward to the day we can offer it as an attractive alternative to daily injection for the many older people living with osteoporosis".

The University of Nottingham has world-leading capabilities in clinical and basic research in osteoporosis, geriatric care, bone pathophysiology and medical imaging. The use of university expertise for imaging drug deposition and clearance will greatly enhance the development of this formulation. This project will draw on interdisciplinary collaborative research from international experts Dr Richard Pearson (Division of Orthopaedic & Accident Surgery), Professor Alan Perkins (Division of Radiological and Imaging Sciences) and Professor Tahir Masud (Geriatric Medicine).

Dr Richard Pearson, Senior Research Fellow in The University of Nottingham's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, said "I'm delighted to collaborate on this project that will enable us to further develop the world-leading research and development capability at the University of Nottingham for the evaluation of drugs for osteoporosis and to work closely with Critical Pharmaceuticals scientists on the development of an exciting new therapy for this debilitating disease".

About Critical Pharmaceuticals
Critical Pharmaceuticals is a Nottingham UK-based biotechnology company developing a pipeline of unique biological drug products utilizing its proprietary drug delivery technologies. These technologies enable the development of sustained release injectable depot and nasal delivery of proteins and peptides and small molecular weight drugs. As well as developing it's own pipeline, Critical Pharmaceuticals works in partnership with other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to enhance the delivery of their novel drug products.

About The University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university', has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘the world's greenest university' in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking 2011, a league table of the most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions.

The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia. Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University's vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. For more details, visit: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/impactcampaign

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading' or ‘internationally excellent'. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.

The University's vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, health and medical imaging. The University won a Queen's Award for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research on global food security.

More news from the University at: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news

About the Technology Strategy Board
The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led government body which works to create economic growth by ensuring that the UK is a global leader in innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy.

SOURCE: Critical Pharmaceuticals

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Critical Pharmaceuticals And The University Of Nottingham To Develop Nano-Enabled Nasal Spray For Osteoporosis

Researchers say they have made the first implantable chip that can deliver medicine for as long as a year and that several women tolerated it safely for up to four months. Not only did the subjects find the implant comfortable, but it appeared to deliver an osteoporosis drug effectively, the team told a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

They think such a device could be programmed to deliver a precise dose daily, helping to avoid problems caused when people fail to take their drugs on time. It could also be controlled remotely, allowing doctors to change dosage.

“We see this as a new future for how doctors will administer drugs and how patients will receive their treatments,” Robert Farra of Massachusetts-based MicroCHIPS told a news conference. “Patients will be freed from having to remember to take their medication and don’t have to experience the pain of multiple injections.”

Patients often fail to take medicines correctly -- and the more complex and expensive the drug, the less likely they are to remember. It's a headache for doctors and insurers alike, who end up spending needless time and money to treat symptoms that could have been prevented had the patients taken their drugs.

Such a device is at least five years away from the market. The implant study involved just a few women and only covered a short time; years of Food and Drug Administration approval trials are still needed.

“I have seen many exciting achievements in medical technology, but I have to say this ranks as one of the most remarkable breakthroughs,” said the clearly excited Robert Langer, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of the cofounders of the company.

The flash-stick-sized device was Langer’s brainchild; he and colleague Michael Cima spent 15 years developing it. Other such devices might be designed to detect the start of a heart attack and automatically deliver drugs to treat it, or to allow a doctor to remotely deliver drugs to a patient half a world away.

Writing in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the team described how they studied seven women with the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. They delivered 20 days' worth of a prescription drug called Forteo, which helped rebuild bone and normally requires daily injections for two years.

The women said they did not find the implants uncomfortable and lab tests suggested the medication worked as it would have had it been injected. There were few side-effects, but sometimes a membrane formed around the device. The cost would be comparable to the $10,000 to $12,000 cost of a two-year course of Forteo, the researchers said.

“This trial demonstrates how a drug can be delivered through an implantable device that can be monitored and controlled remotely, providing new opportunities to improve treatment for patients and to realize the potential of telemedicine," Langer said in a statement.

The team compared the device to a pacemaker. Pumps exist that deliver doses of liquid insulin, but the researchers said this was the first solid-state device to deliver a drug. It uses nano-sized structures to channel and deliver the drug, and an electrical current to open the nano-channels.

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