This project focuses on cost effective health care provision for debilitating respiratory diseases, and especially chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD currently affects 1 in 12 of the Chinese population over 40. Frequently patients respond poorly to current treatment due to drug resistance. Our innovative approach will overcome this issue with an inexpensive, simple, efficacious, dry powder inhaler (DPI) device containing a novel combination of two existing drugs. Innovative supercritical fluid (SCF) technology uniquely provides the ability to prepare the high specification drug powders required. Essential knowledge requirements for the project will be met by bridging leading centres - Crystepharma and Imperial College in the UK with SIMM and Shanghai Fudan-Zhangjiang Bio-Pharmaceutical Co. in China. Outcomes will include ‘first in man’ studies for the new DPI, and creating a preclinical testing centre and SCF manufacturing facilities in China. In addition to the COPD product, a range of improved drug/device patient inhaled products will be developed aimed to treat cost effectively other widespread respiratory disease challenges in China.

Crystec propose a re-purposed therapy for the treatment of Raynaud's Phenomenon.

CrystecPharma is a crystal and particle engineering company enabling the development of new and more effective medicines. CrystecPharma applies the latest supercritical fluid (SCF) technology to create drug particles which dissolve more quickly and can be delivered via alternative routes of administration. Although a relatively young company the team have over 70 years of experience of SCF between them and Chief Scientist, Professor Peter York, is the founder of SCF technology in this field. This project aims to develop novel particles with rapid action in patients with urinary incontinence. Although 500 million people worldwide suffer from urinary incontinence the disease remains very poorly treated. Incontinence takes several forms, urge (a sudden onset of need to urinate), stress (urination as a consequence of exertion e.g. coughing), and mixed (a combination of both types). Incontinence is especially prevalent (up to 26%) in adult women and of these, approximately 47% will suffer from urge or mixed urinary incontinence. This project aims to prove the concept of a novel therapy to treat urge and mixed incontinence in a more manageable way. The treatment will enable sufferers to take a medicine for fast uptake in the circulation and rapid bladder control. It is hoped that patients will be able to take the medicine immediately upon feeling an urge, providing control before the onset of leakage, or prophylactically when required. Current therapies used in this area do not act rapidly enough to alleviate the symptoms before involuntary urination occurs. To achieve short-term bladder control, these drugs are often used at doses which cause many side effects. It is hoped a treatment such as this will revolutionise the treatment of this disease and improve the quality of life for incontinence patients.