Pharmaceutical nanomedicine: a paradigm shift to ‘improve current techniques and treatments’
‘Nanotechnology allows an advance and versatility in the preparation and formulation of vaccines and medicines that is undoubtedly an opportunity for the fight against infectious diseases, especially at a time when antibiotics no longer guarantee success in this fight.’
António Almeida, in an interview with News Farma, describes the main advantages and challenges of nanomedicine.
‘(…) It’s the physical-chemical characteristics of the active substance that control the outcome of the therapy,’ so with the nanotechnological era it’s possible to “sophisticate the formulation, moving from a macro dimension to nanometre-sized particles”. Thus, ‘each nanoparticle is a formulation whose characteristics are maintained and are responsible for the drug’s biodistribution and transport to the site of action’.
Pharmaceutical nanotechnology has therefore made it possible to control where, how, when, how much and why and to what extent the substance is absorbed. ‘We’ve managed to control them through this nanotechnology, which is a huge scientific breakthrough.’
Given these developments, the professor emphasises that nanomedicine makes it possible to ‘improve current techniques and treatments, as well as providing new approaches’ that differ from conventional therapy. In addition, there is also a reduction in toxicological effects by targeting the drugs to the necessary location.
It also emphasises the advantage of nanotechnology in reformulating antibiotics, thus demonstrating ‘improved efficacy’ against multi-resistant infections.
Watch the video here.
