Hydrogel Drug Delivery System Development Services

Protheragen-ING specializes in the design and development of innovative drug delivery systems using hydrogels. With our expertise in the field, we offer comprehensive solutions to meet the diverse needs of the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries. Our hydrogel drug delivery system development services provide a comprehensive approach to the design and development of advanced drug delivery systems using hydrogels. We utilize the unique properties of hydrogels to achieve controlled release, targeted delivery, and enhanced therapeutic effects.

Hydrogels for Drug Delivery

Hydrogels are highly biocompatible, 3D cross-linked polymer networks capable of absorbing and retaining large amounts of water or biological fluids. Hydrogels can encapsulate drugs within their network structure, allowing for controlled release over a longer period, ensuring prolonged therapeutic effects while minimizing the frequency of administration.

Fig. 1 Schematic representation of two mechanisms for drug release from a particle embedded in a hydrogel network. (Buwalda S.J, et al. 2017)

Protheragen-ING allows the hydrogel to be designed to respond to specific stimuli, such as pH, temperature, or enzymes, which can trigger release at the desired site in the body. This targeted drug delivery method improves the therapeutic index and reduces off-target effects. Our hydrogel drug delivery systems provide a versatile platform that can be customized to accommodate various drug types, including small molecules, proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids. The tunability of the hydrogel enables control of the drug release rate, resulting in sustained or targeted delivery profiles.

Comprehensive Hydrogel Drug Delivery Systems

Our hydrogel drug delivery system development services cover various solutions tailored to your specific needs. Whether you require an extended-release system, targeted delivery, or customized drug release kinetics, our team can design and optimize hydrogel formulations to meet your therapeutic goals. Our capabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Injectable hydrogels are in a liquid or sol state at room temperature but can gel in response to physiological conditions such as temperature, pH, or ionic strength. They can be injected into specific body sites and form solid gel reservoirs that allow for sustained drug release over extended periods of time.
• Implantable hydrogels are designed to be implanted in the body. They can be in the form of films, discs, or 3D structures. They provide localized and sustained drug release and can be used in various applications such as tissue engineering, wound healing, and cancer treatment.
• Ocular drug delivery hydrogels can be used to create contact lenses that can deliver drugs to the eye. These lenses provide a non-invasive and convenient method for ocular drug delivery. The drug is incorporated into the hydrogel matrix and controlled release occurs when the lens comes into contact with the tear film.
• Transdermal hydrogels are applied to the skin and deliver drugs across the skin barrier to produce systemic or localized effects. They are designed to enhance the permeability of the drug through the skin and provide controlled release of the drug over a longer period.
• Oral hydrogels are ingested orally to release the drug into the gastrointestinal tract. They protect the drug from degradation in the harsh acidic environment of the stomach and provide controlled release with enhanced drug absorption and bioavailability.
• Nanoparticle-based hydrogels can be combined with nanoparticles to form hybrid systems. The nanoparticles can be trapped within the hydrogel matrix or affixed with polymer chains. Such combinations may enable additional functionality, such as targeted drug delivery, stimulus-responsive release, and imaging capabilities.

Fig. 2 Drug-loaded contact lens hydrogel. (Raina N, et al. 2022)

Controlled Drug Release from Hydrogel Drug Delivery Systems

Our hydrogel drug delivery systems are precisely designed and optimized to achieve controlled drug release. We can achieve controlled drug release by controlling the degradation, swelling, and mechanical deformation of the hydrogel grid.

• Grid degradation modulation
• Swelling regulation
• Mechanical deformation modulation

Our Hydrogel Preparation Methods

Contact us today to discuss your drug delivery needs and explore the possibilities of hydrogel-based solutions.