Particle Sciences joins MOTIF project on HIV prevention

The Microbicide Optimization Through Innovative Formulation for Vaginal and Rectal Delivery (MOTIF) project​ – which is supported by the European Union’s Seventh Framework R&D programme – aims to develop a microbicide capable of delivering multiple anti-retrovirals simultaneously to help combat the spread of HIV.

There are two main goals. Firstly to “to identify drug uptake and efflux transporters in cervicovaginal tissue and to use this information together with data on drug transporters from colorectal tissue to develop improved in vitro cell-based systems for biopharmaceutical screening.”

The researchers also aim to “develop a standardized drug encapsulation and formulation system that will allow insertion of any drug combinations,” which is where US based formulations-focused contract research organisation (CRO) Particle Sciences comes in.

Particle will develop approaches that allow for multiple antiretroviral drugs to be easily incorporated into the same formulation, with the ultimate aim being to create next generation vaginal drug delivery system.