New research by a global consortium of expert scientists from both academia and industry has resulted in the establishment of new quality standards for research. These standards aim to significantly lower costs and shorten the time required to develop advanced nanomedicine treatments, making them accessible to patients more quickly.
Although they are minute drug-delivery systems, measuring 1,000 times smaller than a human hair, nanomedicines have long been recognized as a promising future solution for treating serious and life-threatening illnesses. However, the process of moving these innovations from the laboratory to the patients is fraught with difficulties.
The recent findings, published in Nature Nanotechnology, were spearheaded by Dr. Paul Joyce from the University of South Australia and Prof. Hélder Santos from the University of Groningen. They introduced the DELIVER guidelines, which provide essential early-stage recommendations for all stages of nanomedicine development: design, experimentation, manufacturing, preclinical and clinical testing, regulatory approval, and business considerations to enhance the likelihood of clinical application.
According to Dr. Paul Joyce, advancements in chemotherapy and vaccine-based nanomedicines could significantly transform patient care.
“Reflecting on the recent COVID-19 pandemic illustrates the critical importance of nanomedicines; over two-thirds of the world’s population received an mRNA vaccine against the coronavirus, enabled by lipid nanoparticles,” remarks Dr. Joyce.
“Although nanomedicines represent a significant shift in healthcare possibilities, very few have made it to clinical use relative to the volume of research conducted, and this situation needs to be improved.”
“Our research outlines the fundamental principles necessary to ensure that nanomedicines can successfully tackle these translational challenges, thereby assisting researchers, clinicians, and regulatory agencies in navigating essential processes more effectively to prevent setbacks and promote faster clinical implementation.”
“Following this framework could lead to a surge in the successful development of new nanomedicines targeting various diseases, paving the way for a new era of medical advancements.”
Prof. Hélder Santos emphasizes that this new framework will revolutionize the clinical application of nanomedicine.
“By addressing significant obstacles early in the process, the DELIVER model can lead to the creation of personalized therapies tailored to individual patients, providing new hope for those in urgent need.”
