The Center for Pharmaceutical Development (CPD) addresses current challenges in the pharmaceutical industry with the aim of developing solutions towards more selective and robust manufacturing processes, more stable formulations, and better characterized and consistent products. Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University focuses on the development of efficient, environmentally benign routes to small-molecule pharmaceuticals or their intermediates and on the prediction of the propensity of proteins to aggregate, unfold, or dissociate.

Research at the University of Kentucky, University of Kansas and at Duquesne University is focused on developing new techniques and methods for improving the formulation, characterization, and stabilization of small and large molecule pharmaceutical dosage forms. The Center will provide a mechanism for collaborative projects between scientists from government, academia, and industry to develop innovative methods to more selective and robust processes with less environmental footprint and to improve the safety of the nation’s drug supply. The Center will encourage active participation of federal agencies such as the NSF,NIH, CDC, and FDA.

FOCUS

The Center for Pharmaceutical Development (CPD), established in February 2010, provides a forum for academic and industrial scientists to develop novel approaches for the improvement of pharmaceutical API manufacturing, drug product formulation, and analytical methods. The distinctive strengths of each of the University partners will provide industrial participants with unique opportunities to advance topics pertaining to these three key areas. The CPD facilitates technologies including but not limited to the following: the creation of robust biological and chemical catalysts with better selectivity that will allow for more streamlined processes, the development of improved methods for stabilizing pharmaceuticals to protect the nation’s drug supply, and the design of new analytical techniques for the nondestructive, accurate, and rapid evaluation of pharmaceutical products.

SIGNIFICANCE

The pharmaceutical industry currently faces simultaneous challenges in form of both increased cost of drug development and increased price pressure in most markets. The CPD seeks to address the needs of our industrial partners through the development of selective and robust manufacturing processes, formulations with enhanced performance and stability, and better analytical methods for characterizing products.