Ubisol-Aqua™ Delivery System Technology
Pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical companies looking to develop exciting new products are meeting with a significant obstacle - poor water solubility. Approximately 40% of drugs worldwide cannot be dissolved in water so many promising new drugs never make it to the clinical testing stage due to inadequate water solubility. Similarly, 90% percent of drugs released into the market since 1995 have limited solubility and/or poor permeability. Thus, the financial impact of improving the solubilization of drugs and other biologically active compounds is substantial. Improving solubility will benefit patients and consumers by making previously ineffectual and unavailable compounds both effective and available.
Solubility problems can affect the applicability and performance of a compound in a variety of ways. First, poor water solubility can limit the range of formulations available for a bioactive compound. For example, they cannot readily be formulated for intravenous, tablet, or liquid administration. For the same reasons, insoluble nutrients are not useful for enhancing foods or beverages. Second, poorly soluble compounds are likely to have limited bioavailability because they do not remain in solution at the site of action, once in the body. This results in lower absorption and, by definition, reduced efficacy. To counter this, administration of higher doses is often necessary. However, higher doses can potentially lead to increased side effects. Third, because of a need for higher doses and/or complex formulations, the cost of drugs and nutrients to both manufacturer and consumer are increased.
Zymes LLC presents an exciting new two-pronged approach to sustained solubilization: 1) complexation and 2) reduced particle size. This approach involves complexation of the active with a hydrotrope, Ubisol-Aqua™, to form micelles of nanometer size offering many advantages over existing solubilization technologies. Ubisol-Aqua™, a pioneering nano-technology therefore makes possible the solubilization and reformulation of water-insoluble drugs, nutrients, and cosmetic ingredients that would otherwise be commercially and clinically unavailable.