Rolled-Up Biopolymer Capsules for Controlled Drug Release

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Rolled-Up Biopolymer Capsules for Controlled Drug Release

Valeriy Luchnikov  valeriy.luchnikov@uha.fr

Controlled drug release is a rapidly developing field at the interface of materials science and pharmacology, aiming to provide drug delivery at rates that are maximally suited to patients’ drug tolerance, while achieving the best possible therapeutic effect. We develop reservoir-type capsules, made by winding a strip of biopolymer. Before rolling, a drug reservoir is formed on the strip at the location corresponding to the target radial position after rolling. Since the radial position of the reservoir determines the kinetics of the release, the approach provides an easy way to program the rate, lag time, and duration of the zero-order release. More complex kinetics can be obtained by superimposing the kinetics of several reservoirs. For example, biphasic “fast-slow” release can be achieved for the treatment of pathologies (e.g., pain treatment), which require the initial burst release followed by a slow release at constant speed.