Many biologically active molecules are very active in vitro, but never reach the clinic because of lack of absorption and/or poor in vivo stability. Although a range of delivery systems is available, the delivery of sensitive drugs such as peptides, nucleic acid based therapeutics (including antisense DNA and siRNA), simple and complex carbohydrates, and synthetic vaccines presents a major challenge to the pharmaceutical industry. Industry experts agree that approximately 10% of the costs of drug development program should be allocated to aspects of drug delivery. New developments in drug delivery research are likely to have enormous economic impacts upon the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. In fact, drug delivery research represents a US$70 billion a year industry. Centres for Drug Delivery have been established all over the world to promote research, development and training in drug delivery science. There has also been a focus on realizing the commercial potential of innovative molecules (e.g. peptides, nucleic acid based therapies and vaccines) or delivery technologies that are developed from the centres' research. Research in drug delivery is multidisciplinary, requiring knowledge of how drugs work, their chemical and physical properties, how these properties affect the drugs in vivo behaviour, and what could be done to potentially solve any delivery problems associated with drug molecules. Therefore, drug delivery research necessitates interdisciplinary collaborations both at a national and international level.
Istvan Toth
University of Queensland
Brisbane, Australia
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| | Professor
Istvan Toth Chem Eng received his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry
in 1973 from the Technical University Budapest, Hungary under
Professor Csaba Szantay followed by a two-year Postdoctoral
Fellowship at Carleton University Ottawa Canada under John
W ApSimon. Istvan joined to the School of Pharmacy, University
of London as a Royal Society sponsored Senior Research fellow
in 1986, became a Senior Lecturer in 1989 and Reader in 2004.
In this position, he has built a strong multi-disciplinary
Research Group. He moved to Brisbane, Australia in 1998 and
has the following positions: |
| Pharma R&D Achievements:
Co-founder of Alchemia Ltd, Brisbane, Australia; 2004 Co-founder
of Implicit Bioscience Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Australia; 2005-
Scientific Advisor, Implicit Bioscience Pty Ltd, Brisbane,
Australia; 2003- Scientific Advisor, Proxima Concepts Ltd,
UK; 2004 Co-founder and Chief Investigator of the University
of Queensland-based company Neurotide; 2005- Expert patent
declarant, Fischer Adams & Kelly and Freehills Patent
& Trademark attorneys; 2002- Consultant, Uniquest, the
University of Queensland.
Scientific Contributions: Academic Award
from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Inventor Silver Medal,
awarded by the Hungarian Ministry of Industry; 1986 Inventor
Gold Medal, awarded by Chinoin Pharmaceutical, Budapest, Hungary;
Royal Society Sponsored Senior Research Fellowship (University
of London, UK); Business/Higher Education Award for Outstanding
Achievement in Collaborative R&D, Australia; Elected fellor
of the Royal Australian Chem Inst. Prof Toth has more than
250 scientific publications and 41 patent and member of College
of Experts of the Australian Research Council.
Scientific and Professional Activities: Editor
in Chief, Current Drug Delivery; 2005- Associate Editor, Medicinal
Chemistry;2000- Board Member, Mini Reviews on Medicinal Chemistry
and (2006-) Recent Patents on Drug Delivery and Formulation.
Academic Appointments: Chair in Biological
Chemistry, School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, Faculty
of Biological and Chemical Sciences, the University of Queensland
[tenured] Professor, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health,
the University of Queensland [tenured] Adjunct Professor,
Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the University of Queensland:
Director of Pharmaceutics, TetraQ, Centre for Integrated Preclinical
Drug Development [ongoing] .
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