Stanford: Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new technique that allows for the rapid injection of drugs that currently require slow intravenous administration.
According to Qatar News Agency, the study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, confirmed that a new method for encapsulating proteins enables their storage at high concentrations for delivery to patients using standard syringes or an auto-injector device.
The researchers coated the small particles with a newly developed material called MoNi, which allows them to place proteins in a high-concentration liquid while maintaining their stability and effectiveness. They confirmed that the coating layer prevents the particles from dissolving or sticking together in the liquid and keeps them dry and stable.
Eric Appel, the lead researcher at Stanford University, said, “This is a platform that potentially works with any biologic drug, so that we can inject it easily.” He added: “That takes these treatments from a several-hour ordeal at a clinic with an IV infusion to something you can do in seconds with an autoinjector at your house.”
He described the new method as potentially applicable to any biologic drug, enabling treatments to be administered in seconds using a self-injector at home, instead of taking several hours. Tests were conducted using three different proteins: albumin, human immunoglobulin, and a monoclonal antibody for COVID treatment. The researchers were able to inject a solution with more than twice the concentration of conventional injection fluids.
Injecting patients with antibody-based drugs, used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic disorders, requires large volumes of fluid, necessitating prolonged intravenous infusions, as antibodies, being proteins, remain stable only in low-concentration solutions.