Final Report Summary - POSBEADD (Positive-beads for drug delivery)
The POS-BEADD project proposed the development of positively charged beads for drug loading and delivery in the embolotherapy of uterine fibroids. It also proposed the chemical synthesis of alginate polymer beads, the development of a novel bead management technology for mixing polymer beads with physiological saline prior to delivery and a new catheter system to allow a uniform delivery of beads into blood vessels in metered doses.
The objectives of the project fall into the following categories:
- scientific objectives: the project aimed to enhance the scientific understanding of polymer bead synthesis chemistries in respect of the ability of co-polymerisation technologies to allow the development and synthesis of alginate polymer beads for drug delivery. It focused also on enhancing the understanding of technologies concerning the introduction of alginate polymer beads into new catheters for delivery to the uterine artery in an ergonomic and timely manner, using a novel bead mixing system. Finally, it aimed to pursue a research into existing preclinical test procedures for bead delivery technologies and to adapt these to the development of a preclinical model for testing bead delivery.
- technological objectives: the aim was to provide the European medical industry with an innovative technology capable of competing globally to secure its market. The project focused on providing a polymer bead synthesis method, catheter design technology and an innovative drug delivery system to improve the quality of life of European women. The demands concerned the ability to accurately and independently verify the surgical operation so that length of treatment, pain during surgery and post-operative infection rate could be is reduced or totally eliminated.
- societal and policy objectives: the goals were to improve the health and quality of life of women with uterine fibroids, to benefit European society by reducing the length of fibroid treatment by 90 %, the number of women having hysterectomies by at least 5 %, the pain experienced by women undergoing fibroid treatment by at least 50 % and the infection experienced by women undergoing bead fibroid treatment by at least 50 %.
In addition, the relatively low cost of the POS-BEADD technology would enable the increasing use of embolisation treatments in all European countries including the candidate countries and this would support the policies of the European Union to bring the health of eastern Europeans up to the same standard as those of the 15 Member States.
- economic objectives: the project sought to promote Europe in the international marketplace, especially be more competitive against the United States and Japanese companies that were actively involved in developing the healthcare technology sector.
- innovation-related objectives: this set of objectives included the following activities:
- collating and preparing the results of the project into a suitable format and apply for patent protection of the low cost, bead embolisation and drug delivery system by the end of 2006;
- transfer of knowledge from the research and technological development (RTD) performers to the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) participants through three technology transfer events and interactions;
- disseminate the results and benefits of the knowledge and technology developed beyond the consortium to potential users such as pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, sport system companies.
The objectives of the project fall into the following categories:
- scientific objectives: the project aimed to enhance the scientific understanding of polymer bead synthesis chemistries in respect of the ability of co-polymerisation technologies to allow the development and synthesis of alginate polymer beads for drug delivery. It focused also on enhancing the understanding of technologies concerning the introduction of alginate polymer beads into new catheters for delivery to the uterine artery in an ergonomic and timely manner, using a novel bead mixing system. Finally, it aimed to pursue a research into existing preclinical test procedures for bead delivery technologies and to adapt these to the development of a preclinical model for testing bead delivery.
- technological objectives: the aim was to provide the European medical industry with an innovative technology capable of competing globally to secure its market. The project focused on providing a polymer bead synthesis method, catheter design technology and an innovative drug delivery system to improve the quality of life of European women. The demands concerned the ability to accurately and independently verify the surgical operation so that length of treatment, pain during surgery and post-operative infection rate could be is reduced or totally eliminated.
- societal and policy objectives: the goals were to improve the health and quality of life of women with uterine fibroids, to benefit European society by reducing the length of fibroid treatment by 90 %, the number of women having hysterectomies by at least 5 %, the pain experienced by women undergoing fibroid treatment by at least 50 % and the infection experienced by women undergoing bead fibroid treatment by at least 50 %.
In addition, the relatively low cost of the POS-BEADD technology would enable the increasing use of embolisation treatments in all European countries including the candidate countries and this would support the policies of the European Union to bring the health of eastern Europeans up to the same standard as those of the 15 Member States.
- economic objectives: the project sought to promote Europe in the international marketplace, especially be more competitive against the United States and Japanese companies that were actively involved in developing the healthcare technology sector.
- innovation-related objectives: this set of objectives included the following activities:
- collating and preparing the results of the project into a suitable format and apply for patent protection of the low cost, bead embolisation and drug delivery system by the end of 2006;
- transfer of knowledge from the research and technological development (RTD) performers to the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) participants through three technology transfer events and interactions;
- disseminate the results and benefits of the knowledge and technology developed beyond the consortium to potential users such as pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, sport system companies.
