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Nanotechnology Drug-Delivery Companies Seeking to Partner With Pharmaceutical Companies Face Competition From a Plethora of Available Drug-Delivery Systems

Posted on: Thursday, 23 March 2006, 09:01 CST

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c32297) has announced the addition of Nanotechnology for Drug Discovery and Drug Design to their offering.

Nanotechnology, a field of science and technology that aims to control matter at the atomic, molecular, and macromolecular level, potentially has far-reaching and paradigm-shifting implications for biology, drug discovery, and medical technologies. The discipline has already yielded discoveries that have been used for drug delivery and diagnostic purposes, and nanotech applications coming to market will include more of the same, in addition to uses in preclinical assays and other assay technologies. Nanotechnology, however, has uses in many fields besides biomedical science. Governments have recognized the broad reach of nanotechnology, and they have poured large sums of money into nanotech R&D to ensure their future competitiveness. This investment has already yielded many discoveries in the field, and it is broadening opportunities for nanotechnology in drug discovery and research.

In this report, Decision Resources describe various nanotechnologies under development for biological and medical purposes and assess their potential. We also highlight the activities of companies applying nanotechnology to the biological and medical sciences.

Business Implications

-- Nanotechnology is an emerging science that could have

far-reaching and paradigm-shifting implications for biology,

drug discovery, and medical technologies. Nanotechnologies for

biological applications already in use include liposomal

drug-delivery agents, transfection agents, and magnetic

resonance imaging contrast agents. An important advantage of

nanotechnology will be its ability to enable and improve upon

other technologies, including RNA interference, gene delivery,

and proteomics.

-- Multifunctional nanoparticles that combine targeting,

delivery, and imaging components will have important clinical

potential but a complex regulatory path. We anticipate that

the first and most extensive use of multifunctional

nanoparticles will be applications in the area of drug target

and lead validation studies. These multifunctional particles

and complex combination technologies will carry very complex

intellectual property issues that will likely lead to the need

for multiparty licensing.

-- Many governments have recognized the importance of harnessing

nanotechnology to achieve industrial competitiveness and have

invested heavily in funding nanotechnology research and

innovation. In the absence of private and venture investment,

various government initiatives have fostered the growth of

numerous nanotechnology companies. These companies have a

variety of business models, and many are focused on research

tool development, in vivo imaging, and drug delivery.

-- Nanotechnology drug-delivery companies seeking to partner with

pharmaceutical companies face competition from a plethora of

available drug-delivery systems. Nevertheless, pharmaceutical

companies may choose to develop their own systems using skills

gleaned from corporate partnerships; this approach may be an

advantage to nanotechnology companies. The report anticipates

that pharmaceutical companies will continue to partner with a

variety of nanotechnology companies to find the best

technologies for drug-delivery and discovery needs.

Contents Include: - Introduction - Nanotechnology and Nanoparticles - Nanotechnology in Biology and Biomedicine - Nanotechnologies and Applications - Government Initiatives - Hurdles and Challenges to Implementation - Business Models and Strategies - Company Profiles - Outlook for Nanotechnology in Drug Discovery and Design

Companies Mentioned:-

Advanced Magnetics Alnis BioSciences Alza (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) BioDelivery Sciences International C Sixty Calando Pharmaceuticals Dendritic NanoTechnologies Hermes Biosciences ImaRx Therapeutics iMEDD Intradigm Kereos MagForce Nanotechnologies MolecularDiamond Technologies NanoCarrier Nanoprobes Nanospectra Biosciences Nanosphere NanoString Technologies Protiva Biotherapeutics Qiagen Quantum Dot Starpharma Triton BioSystems

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c32297

Decision Resources

Source: Business Wire

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