Catalent Launches Applied Drug Delivery Institute

Catalent Pharma Solutions has launched the Catalent Applied Drug Delivery Institute at the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition. According to a company statement, the Institute aspires to promote innovation, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration between industry leaders, academic experts, customers and regulators to enhance understanding of available, emerging, and future drug delivery technologies and improve patient care.

“The mission of the Catalent Applied Drug Delivery Institute is to bring better treatments to market by advancing the development and adoption of applied drug delivery technologies,” stated Kurt Nielsen, Ph.D., Catalent’s senior vice president of R&D. “By harnessing the knowledge of some of the world’s leading experts in drug development, delivery and formulation, the Institute will cultivate leadership and excellence in drug development through education, training, and innovation.”

As part of its mission, the Institute will serve as a link between industry and academia by providing guidance, counsel, and resources on major issues pertaining to drug development, delivery, and formulation. The Institute will develop programs that “facilitate mutually beneficial collaborations, increase communication, and shed light on regulatory issues affecting drug developers and researchers,” accord to Catalent. It also will pursue a multi-tiered approach of seed funding, strategic counsel, and educational programs to advance the adoption of emerging technologies.

“Today is an exciting day for Catalent Pharma Solutions and the Catalent Applied Drug Delivery Institute, as well as for everyone working in the areas of drug delivery and development,” said Rao Tatapudy, vice president of Scientific Affairs at Catalent. “In launching the Institute at AAPS, we hope to start an informative and productive dialog between industry and academic experts that will spur innovation at the benchtop and in the marketplace. We look forward to a continuous series of successful collaborations as the Institute’s activities unfold.”
 
The company announced a series of Institute-led initiatives and publications designed to “enhance understanding of drug delivery and inspire the next generation of science leaders.” These initiatives, which will target both industry and academic audiences, will include:
 

• Applied drug delivery events and training programs for industry
• Innovation and research collaborations with universities and technology companies
• Catalent Applied Drug Delivery Institute scientific journal
• Science Leaders of Tomorrow university partnership program
• Student drug delivery guide
• Annual Drug Delivery Landscape Technology Survey
• Scientific communications