Drug Formulation Lab

Supporting preclinical drug formulation from concept to characterization

Overview

The Drug Formulation Lab brings together expertise in preclinical formulation development, drug delivery and advanced materials synthesis. The team designs and evaluates formulations ranging from nanoparticles, microparticles, microemulsions, liposomes and nanofibers to more traditional dosage forms such as long-acting injectables, inhalation products and tablets.

Capabilities include lab-scale formulation, in vitro physicochemical characterization, stability testing, permeability studies and preclinical efficacy evaluation in animal models. Complementary research uses aerosol-enabled rapid synthesis and non-equilibrium droplet chemistry to produce drug particles, control solid form and carrier architecture and engineer porous materials for the stabilization, encapsulation and controlled release of small molecules and biologics. This work provides mechanistic insight and process control spanning particle formation, crystallization and assembly.

The group also develops disease-specific animal models, particularly for ocular disorders, opioid use disorder, lung infection, cancer and angiogenesis. These studies support dose selection, toxicity and efficacy assessment and tissue analysis to understand drug accumulation, metabolism and elimination. Small-scale pharmaceutical packaging capabilities, including blister packing equipment, enable room-temperature and accelerated stability studies in environmental chambers.

Equipment

Members

• Lead: Qingguo Xu, Ph.D.
• Michael Hindle, Ph.D.
• Masahiro Sakagami, Ph.D.
• Wei-Ning Wang, Ph.D.