News from the Department of Pharmacy

Taking a promising substance the full distance from laboratory to treatment requires large resources. Consequently, rare diseases are seldom first in line when new ideas are tried. Now the Faculty of Pharmacy is joining several European consortia on the outlook for new therapies among well-known drugs.

Current research shows how pharmaceuticals affect our environment. Now the Faculty of Pharmacy has gathered several key organisations to build sustainable networks between a new generation of experts and their future employers.

In a laboratory at BMC stands a machine, about the size of a coffee maker but with the potential to fundamentally revolutionize healthcare. "By 2030, we expect to have 3D printers in private homes that will create drugs in accordance to each individual need," says Christel Bergström, Professor at the Department of Pharmacy.

In a new thesis, Vicky Barmpatsalou, PhD student at SweDeliver, introduces new in vitro models to cost-effectively identify which drug candidates are best suited for oral delivery and absorption in the large intestine.

“Everything was just super exciting,” says Alice Mankert, one of four middle school students from Uppsala Music Classes who in early February visited the Faculty of Pharmacy to learn more about frontline pharmaceutical research and also performed a much-lauded rock concert at the Pharmen Student union building.

Greta Hultqvist, Associate Professor and researcher in Protein drug design, receives a SEK 1 million grant from the Alzheimer's Foundation. "My goal is for my research to contribute to future treatments, and with new protein drugs we can make a big impact," says Greta Hultqvist.

Sweden Inhalation Network works to give a new generation of Swedish researchers access to leading expertise in pulmonary drug delivery. On Thursday 15 December, the network will present their operations and future initiatives at the SweDeliver and NextBioForm webinar series.

With funding from Horizon 2020, European consortium DRUGtrain is exploring if available drug molecules also have a therapeutic effect against the currently incurable kidney disease ADPKD. "Our goal is to identify how existing drugs will work against ADPKD and thereby contribute to new treatment options," says Alina Meyer, PhD student at Uppsala University.

Just a minute... Alexandra Teleki, researcher with a focus on pharmaceutical nanotechnology and Center co-Director of SweDeliver, that in January 2023 will join as the only non-American member of the Particle Technology Forum executive committee.

SweDeliver continues to receive top marks for its successful research program and building of new networks and expertise for future drug delivery. This time from main financier Vinnova, emphasizing, among many things, the efficient collaboration that characterizes the competence center.

Immunotherapy against tumors, Studies of how DNA damage generates cancer cells and Cell profiling in a robotic laboratory are in focus as the Swedish Cancer Society allocates SEK 7.2 million to three promising research projects at the Faculty of Pharmacy.

Thomas Dorlo, Lena Friberg and Margareta Hammarlund Udenaes at the Department of Pharmacy receive grants amounting to more than SEK 10 million in the Swedish Research Council's calls in Medicine and Health and Natural Sciences and Engineering in 2022.

The Faculty of Pharmacy is awarding honorary doctorates to Richard Bergström, former national vaccine coordinator, and Siew Chai, Associate Professor at Monash University. The promotion will take place in the Uppsala University Main Auditorium Friday 27 January, 2023.

In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University show how specially designed nanoparticles pave the way for oral delivery of biological drugs. "That the particles are absorbed in large quantities in the intestinal cells may facilitate medication for patients that have to inject their biological drug," says Patrik Lundquist, researcher in Drug Delivery.

During summer and autumn, Ires van der Zwaan, Marcus Wanselius, Ann-Christin Jacobsen and numerous other junior researchers at SweDeliver are publishing results that add valuable knowledge to the fields of drug delivery.

SweDeliver fulfills the high expectations and is well equipped to reach its goals, states the Competence Center's Scientific Advisory Board in a new evaluation of the ongoing collaboration between Uppsala University and 16 pharmaceutical companies.

With over 5 million euros in funding from Horizon Europe, new knowledge consortium GENEGUT will develop an RNA-based therapy against inflammatory disease in the gastrointestinal tract. "It is inspiring to take on a challenge with such extensive medical needs," says Per Artursson, Professor of Dosage Form Design.

Biological drugs have an increasingly important function in healthcare, but despite numerous years of research, physicians often lack effective methods to give them as tablets. In a current PhD thesis, Staffan Berg presents new knowledge about how permeation enhancers and correct release profile can increase the absorption of biological drugs in the blood when delivered orally.

“Receiving the BiotechBuilders Award 2022 provides valuable inspiration and hopefully contributes to consolidating Uppsala's and Biopharmaceutical’s places on the Swedish Life Science map,” states Sara Mangsbo, research director in immuno-oncology at Uppsala University.

“This is the best course I have taken during my entire PhD,” states a participant at the Uppsala Pharmacometrics Summer School, every August gathering doctoral students from all over the world. "This year's summer school is our biggest to date," says Mats Karlsson, Professor of Pharmacometrics.

The 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities is official: Uppsala University continues to climb in the field of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences and now ranks 23rd in the world. "This is yet another acknowledgment that our determined work is fruitful," states Mathias Hallberg, Dean at the Faculty of Pharmacy.

Antibiotic resistance, Innovations and Design Thinking were on the agenda when the Faculty of Pharmacy welcomed young researchers from six European universities to the TIPAT Summer School 2022. "Organizing an event like this generates great values," says Iris Minichmayr at the Department of Pharmacy.

September 14-15, the conference Translating PKPD - (Retro)Perspectives brings the world of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics to Uppsala University. "It is inspiring to welcome such a significant part of our scientific field,” says Irena Loryan at the Faculty of Pharmacy.

The program for the 12th Pharmaceutical Profiling Symposium is now finalised and we are happy to announce the full list of confirmed speakers and their respective topics.

We would like to congratulate Madlen Hubert for being promoted to Associate Professor (docent)! Very well done and a hard-earned achievement!

The Valborg Jacobsons fond supports Madlen’s research with a grant of 200’000 SEK to develop human gut models for improved prediction of the in vivo performance of advanced oral medicines. Congratulations!

SweDeliver is now recruiting two PhD Students in Molecular Pharmaceutics. Welcome to submit your application no later than 18 February 2022.

The 11^th Symposium on Pharmaceutical Profiling in Drug Discovery and Development on January 27, 2022 will be held as a virtual meeting! Don’t miss to register before Jan 13.

The new article by Rosita Kneiszl, Shakhawath Hossain and Per Larsson was selected as today's ACS (American Chemical Society) Editors' Choice among articles from +60 peer-reviewed journals.

Prof. Christel Bergström gave her inaugural lecture November 16, 2021. The video is now available.

The registration for the upcoming 11^th Symposium on Pharmaceutical Profiling in Drug Discovery and Development on January 27, 2022 is now open.

The Editorial Staff and the American Pharmacists Association are for the first time choosing outstanding early career scientists for publishing their most original and significant scientific findings in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences(JPharmSci®) in 2021. Alexandra Teleki is one of the ten researchers who were recognised worldwide! Congratulations!

Anders Thorsted recieved the Trainee Qualtiy Abstract Award at The American Conference of Pharmacometrics earlier this month.

During Young Investigator Session of the International Society of Anti-infective Pharmacology, Vincent Aranzana-Climent was awarded the 1st prize for his work!

It's with great joy and pride that we can announce that Prof. Lena Friberg and Dr. Siv Jönsson has been elevated to ISoP Fellows this year.

We are delighted to announce the date for the upcoming Symposium on Pharmaceutical Profiling in Drug Discovery and Development on January 27, 2022 in Uppsala, Sweden. Keynote speakers and registration details will be announced shortly.

Per Artursson, Christel Bergström, Madlen Hubert and Pawel Baranczewski

Drug Delivery Group, Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University

"Without effective antibiotics, health care as we know it will not exist anymore!"

Don't miss unique opportunity of interacting with one of the leading researchers in global health: Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg, Professor at Karolinska Institutet. 

“Receiving the students' award after this challenging year feels extra great", says Lecturer Christina Wedén who, together with Ulrika Rosenström and Viktor Rognås, receive the Pharmaceutical Student Union's 2021 pedagogical awards.

The research group Molecular Pharmaceutics are looking to recruit a PhD student for a project to develop a generic nanosized drug delivery platform for optimal absorption of antibiotics with minimal intestinal side effects.

SweDeliver is recruiting a researcher in molecular pharmaceutics for the project Structural characterization of formulated macromolecular drugs with lipids in response to dilution, digestion and permeation. Submit your application no later than 16 April 2021.

The BLT group is looking for new postdoctoral researcher. Join our multidisciplinary team as a post-doc focusing on lipid nanoparticles for oral drug delivery.
See advertisement for details, apply before 30 April 2021.

The Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences has highlighted the original research article titled "Proteomics-Informed Identification of Luminal Targets For In Situ Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease" in their quartely summary of "Most Original and Most Significant Scientific Findings".

The article is authored by Shno Asad, Christine Wegler, David Ahl, Christel A.S. Bergström, Mia Phillipson, Per Artursson and Alexandra Teleki.

"Understanding what happens in the gut is crucial to the success of oral medications"

Read more about the ERC financed (completed) "Intestinanos" project here: https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/429242-building-virtual-intestine-to-fine-tune-the-formulations-of-new-drugs

The upcoming 11^th Symposium on Pharmaceutical Profiling in Drug Discovery and Development at Uppsala University is postponed to January 2022 due to current pandemic situation.

Are you interested in joining our team for a summer research project? Apotekarsocieteten has scholarships supporting 5-7 weeks of research studies. Reach out to us to discuss interesting project ideas! Dead-line for application is Jan 31.