Aphios
Corporation Awarded Japanese Patent for Phospolipid Nanosomes
February
27, 2006 —
Aphios Corporation today announced that it has been awarded
a Japanese patent for its phospholipid nanosomes technology
platform.
Phospholipid
nanosomes are small, uniform liposomes manufactured utilizing
SuperFluids™. SuperFluids™ are normally gases
which, when compressed, exhibit enhanced solvation, penetration
and expansive properties. These fluids are reverse-engineered
to form phospholipid nanosomes for encapsulating and improving
the delivery of proteins, peptides and genes as well as
small molecule therapeutics. Dr. Castor, the inventor of
this technology platform, points out “this technology
does not utilize organic solvents that could be harmful
to the product, the recipient and/or the environment and
is rapid, broadly-applicable and scalable while enhancing
drug delivery.”
Phospholipid
nanosomes are nanometer-sized vesicles of phospholipid bilayers
comprised of single or multiple lipid bilayers. As such,
they are non-toxic, non-antigenic and biodegradable in character
since they have the molecular characteristics of mammalian
cell membranes. Hydrophilic compounds and therapeutics such
as recombinant proteins are encapsulated in the aqueous
core while hydrophobic compounds and therapeutics such as
anticancer and other water-insoluble drugs are trapped within
the lipid bilayers. Encapsulation masks the hydrophobic
(water-insoluble) nature of drugs, and permits aqueous,
biocompatible formulations to be administered. Phospholipid
nanosomes protect the encapsulated therapeutics prolonging
their circulation and increasing half-life. For cancer chemotherapy,
this increases the likelihood that the drug will reach and
destroy cancer cells. Encapsulation also protects cells
from the circulating therapeutics and reduces their toxicities.
Phospholipid nanosomes could lead to: (i) enhancement of
therapeutic efficacy; (ii) elimination of pre-medication
to counteract toxic excipients such as castor oil; (iii)
reduction of drug toxicity side effects; (iv) prolongation
of circulation time and therapeutic effect; and (v) improvement
in quality of life.
Aphios
Corporation (www.aphios.com) is a biopharmaceutical company
that is developing enhanced natural therapeutics and biologics
for health maintenance, disease prevention and the treatment
of human diseases with a focus on infectious diseases, oncology
and quality-of-life medicines.
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