Summary:
UCLA researchers in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Medicine have developed vaginal drug delivery devices for the administration of contraceptives and antibiotics.
Background:
Globally, 1.9 billion women of reproductive age (15-49 years) use contraceptives. An additional 190 million women would use phrophylactics/contraceptives but are unable (or do not have access) to popular contraceptives such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) or ‘the pill’. With a global market nearing $40.6 billion in 2020 (and women’s health therapeutics projected to increase by 5.4% CAGR to $25.3 billion in 2020 in the US), new contraceptive devices are needed that can comfortably and efficiently deliver drugs and biodegrade to appeal to a large portion of the market.
Innovation:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Medicine have developed vaginal drug delivery device that is able to deliver contraceptives and antibiotics to patients. The devices are comprised of the FDA approved polycaprolactone (PCL) and copolymers that safely biodegrade and allow for timed release drug delivery doses. The devices can be further modified in shape (e.g. tablet, film, ring) and tuned to release drug anywhere from 4 weeks to 9 months. The devices have been successfully prototyped and shown to be able to load 20 ug to 40 mg of contraceptive hormone with a consistent release of 5-10 µg contraceptive a day. For antibiotic administration, consistent therapeutic effects was achieved while the device degraded over the course of 3-10 days.
Potential Applications:
- Contraceptive administration
- Antibiotics administration
- Drug administration
Advantages:
- Tunability
- Time released doses
- Ease of use
- Patient comfort
- Biodegradable
Development to Date: First successful demonstration of hormonal administration with novel device and in-vivo testing of antibiotic administration.
Related Papers: N/A