Jim Vaughan
|
PharmTech:
Do you see a new industry
trend emerging?
Vaughan:
New developments in the
Asia–Pacific region have
been interesting to follow. In
2009, for the first time, most
of the world’s bioscience
degrees were awarded to
people outside the United
States, and we are certainly seeing the changes that is
bringing about. The explosion of startups, particularly in
Asia, is one of the key factors in our expansion of laboratory
facilities. Our new laboratory in Singapore supports earlystage
product development and late-stage regulatory data
demands, so we are able to serve new and established
pharmaceutical companies in that region. We expect this
laboratory to become a major research hub, in addition to
our research locations in the US and United Kingdom.
An additional trend is the expansion of microneedle
technology, in which we are seeing increased interest.
At 3M, we have long experience with this technology
and we feel well positioned, with our solid and hollow,
microstructured transdermal systems, to meet the new
demands for these applications.
PharmTech:
What is the most common demand your clients are
currently making of you?
Vaughan:
Our clients are looking for innovation in drug delivery
and new ways to administer their products. Our chief
technologies are in the areas of inhalation and transdermal
delivery, so we are often called upon to adapt drug
products to these methods. The capabilities of both
technologies are expanding, and the inhalation market is
growing to include larger molecules than before, including
proteins and peptides. Inhalation is a promising delivery
route for local and systemic drug delivery. The number
of transdermal therapies is growing steadily as well. We
have created a method of solid microneedle delivery that
expands the range of medications that can be delivered
transdermally to patients, including vaccines, proteins, and
peptides. We also are working on a hollow, microstructured
transdermal system that will further expand the range of
medications for which transdermal systems can be used.
