Background
As treatment strategies evolve for brain tumors, especially post-surgical resection, localized therapy is emerging as a promising alternative to systemic drug delivery. The blood-brain barrier, along with the sensitive anatomy of the brain, makes it difficult to achieve effective therapeutic concentrations using traditional methods without risking widespread toxicity. Targeted delivery systems are essential to improve therapeutic efficacy and minimize side effects.
Existing implantable solutions, such as Gliadel® wafers, present a range of challenges including limited drug effectiveness, uncontrolled release, and serious adverse events like seizures, wound healing issues, and localized swelling. These complications often result from poor pharmacokinetic control and unintended drug diffusion into cerebrospinal regions. Achieving unidirectional, sustained delivery directly at the resection site remains a key unmet need in the field of neuro‑oncology.
Technology overview
This technology introduces a multilayered wafer implant for localized brain drug delivery, designed to overcome the limitations of conventional implants. The implant comprises a hydrophilic polymer-lipid matrix for drug incorporation, encased in a hydrophobic outer layer that controls the direction and rate of drug release. This layered architecture ensures precise, unidirectional delivery of therapeutic agents such as chemotherapeutics and steroids directly to the surgical site while minimizing leakage into surrounding cerebrospinal fluid.
The combination of materials enables controlled, prolonged drug release tailored to the pharmacological needs of brain tumor treatment. Unlike traditional polyanhydride-based systems, this design reduces the incidence of adverse side effects by maintaining drug concentration at the target site and limiting systemic exposure. The modular platform is also compatible with a range of drug types, offering broad adaptability for future applications in neuro‑oncology and localized CNS therapies.
Benefits
- Provides unidirectional, sustained drug release to surgical resection sites
- Minimizes diffusion into cerebrospinal fluid, reducing adverse side effects
- Enhances local drug concentration for improved tumor suppression
- Reduces complications associated with current implants such as seizures and edema
- Compatible with multiple drug types, including chemotherapeutics and anti-inflammatories
Commercial applications
- Post-resection brain tumor therapy
- Localized chemotherapeutic and steroid delivery
- CNS-targeted drug release platforms
- Adjunctive therapy in neuro-oncology
- Implantable controlled-release drug systems
Opportunity
- Addresses shortcomings of existing brain implant technologies through directional, sustained delivery
- Offers a modular, biocompatible platform adaptable to a variety of therapeutic agents
- Available for licensing to partners in neurosurgery, oncology, and advanced drug delivery systems
