A scanned report of a rheumatoid arthritis patient.

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 17

Pharmaceutical scientists at Lovely Professional University (LPU) have developed an innovative drug delivery method to remove side effects of the prevalent arthritis drugs. The three of them- Dr Monica Gulati, Dr Bhupinder Kapoor and Dr Sachin K Singh have provided a new life to old arthritis medicines still used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

The team has filed for a patent, and the pre-evaluation phase is now complete. They are also applying for an international patent for this new drug delivery method.

For the successful functioning of the drug, LPU scientists have synthesised ‘prodrug’ which is retained in the injection site for a longer time period. It is also required in very low dose, therefore has no side effects, and dosing frequency is also very less. The researchers said their ‘prodrug’ will need approval for sales and marketing from India’s drug regulatory body.

LPU researchers’ team informed, “The long term use of these prevalent drugs result in various side effects like nausea, vomiting, rashes, dizziness, anxiety, abdominal pain and so. In this regard, we have developed a formulation that can be delivered directly to the site of action, and so it is safe with no side-effects.”

Chancellor Ashok Mittal congratulated the team of the scientists. He said, “Our scientists have made the administration of pharmaceutical drugs by injecting the affected area of the patient and not through an oral consumption. This reduces the symptoms of inflammation, which means that the medication only remains in the affected area, without spreading in the rest of the body. In this regard, they have successfully conducted the pre-clinical trials and the testing of the drug delivery mechanism. In fact, this is a revolutionary approach in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.”