Sygnature Discovery
University College London

Even in the 21st century a pressing need for new medicines to help patients with unmet needs remains as strong as ever. Whilst pharmaceutical research is still very active, the molecules being produced are all too often poorly water soluble with this quality directly impacting their effectiveness. This is as active molecules must first dissolve to be absorbed to then move around the body to deliver their therapeutic effects.

Whilst there is a variety of well-known and frequently utilised technologies to achieve this aim of improving solubility, the most common one, amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs), is still poorly understood. However, whilst solving one problem, it is not a panacea for this issue, since it can present new challenges, such as stability amongst many.

Karina’s project aims to improve the understanding of these ASDs at the molecular level, using the knowledge gained to then create amorphous materials that are high performance by design, rather than formulate through a trial-and-error method, employed too often in the industry to the detriment of the delivery of new medicines to patients in need.

Biography:

Following her secondary education in Poland, Karina moved to the UK to study her BSc in Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science at De Montfort University with a placement year at Quotient Sciences, Nottingham. After her undergraduate degree, she worked as a research assistant and supported ASD formulation work to improve performance of a variety of drug classes. Following this experience, Karina joined Sygnature Discovery as a pharmaceutical scientist where she has been developing innovative formulations for intranasal powder delivery. She will continue her research in amorphous materials through this PhD with the support of Sygnature Discovery as her industrial partner.