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| With the gamma camera are Clive Wilson, Professor Alex Elliott (department of medical physics, Glasgow university), Howard Stevens and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s President, Christine Glover (left to right) |
The school of pharmacy at the University of Strathclyde officially opened a
new bio-imaging centre on October 16. The centre will allow research to be carried
out on the performance of new drug delivery systems in humans.
The centre is situated in a refurbished ward at Glasgow Royal infirmary, close
to Strathclyde university. The centre was commissioned following the receipt
of £500,000 of research infrastructure funding from the Scottish Higher
Education Funding Council in 1998. The project is led by Professor Howard Stevens
and Professor Clive Wilson of the department of pharmaceutical sciences at Strathclyde
university, working in conjunction with clinical physicians and medical physicists
from Glasgow Royal infirmary and Glasgow university.
The aim of the centre is to develop postgraduate drug delivery research at the
school of pharmacy by allowing scintigraphic imaging to be coupled with simultaneous
blood sampling. This will allow data to be collected on drug release and absorption
following administration by the oral, ophthalmic, nasal or pulmonary routes.
The bio-imaging centre covers 550 sq m of research space, divided into four
areas: a gamma camera suite; a day room suite; an eight-bed research ward; and
an analytical laboratory and offices. The centre has opened with a loaned gamma
camera but is to take delivery of a new camera shortly.
The facilities of the centre will be available to the pharmaceutical industry
through a new company, Bio-images Ltd. The operating surpluses of this company
will be distributed in the form of research grants to collaborating scientists.
Thirteen projects involving the centre have started ethical approval and protocol
development.
The new centre will allow drug delivery research to be conducted in a clinical
setting. The centre will also be available for testing drug delivery concepts
in healthy volunteers.