The development of new drugs requires a fundamental understanding of the active pharmaceutical compound, its properties, and interaction with relevant excipients for optimal preparation and subsequent performance. Poor aqueous water solubility is today one of the biggest obstacles for optimal absorption after oral administration. It is also estimated that a great number of new drug candidates and lead candidates are affected by poor aqueous solubility which requires adjustment and optimization of the formulation design for proper release. A great focus has therefore been set on the solubility optimization of these candidates by optimizing the formulation through different formulation strategies. Some drug candidates are thus also affected by poor intestinal permeability or first-pass metabolism which can lead to a restricted absorption of the active drug compound. Poor permeability, however, often requires optimization of the drug compound on a chemical level with less focus set on the drug formulation and strategies to optimize the formulation performance.
My research profile is therefore based on understanding the critical interactions between drug candidates, which have low oral absorption caused by limited permeability and/or first-pass metabolism, and corresponding excipients. The research is driven by an attempt to map the essential parameters during the development of new drugs for oral administration with a focus set on optimization of the drug formulation rather than chemical adjustment of the active compound. Work is therefore conducted with different formulation components and optimization of these to define the performance through different in vitro and in vivo models.
