Perfecting medicinal lotions

Researchers at TRI are helping scientists and industry develop the most effective formulations and methods for delivering therapeutics via the skin.

Dr Yousuf Mohammed leads more than a dozen scientists within the Therapeutics Research Centre in the UQ Frazer Institute, who specialise in skin drug delivery and regulatory science.

Over the past decade the team has worked closely with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop regulatory guidelines for topical and transdermal semisolid products (lotions, creams and gels).

Dr Mohammed said his team currently has two FDA grants to better understand why topical drug products fail.

“We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve done with the FDA, which has had a significant translational impact in the pharmaceutical sector,” he said.

The group has four key research areas of strengths: formulation, skin microscopy, rheology and novel platforms for drug delivery. They also do work in toxicology and new areas of drug skin delivery.

While the group collaborate with researchers and industry across all four areas, Dr Mohammed said he hopes they become the “go-to” experts to help them solve formulation problems.

"Formulation is everything,” he said.

“The formulation makes sure the active ingredient does its job. Through formulation we control a therapeutic’s delivery to the body, including the rate, time and place of release, and it’s drug delivery and not therapeutic activity that ensures therapy.”