Development of a customizable anti-inflammatory implant for the veterinary market (Melox).

• Grant number: 23/15227-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Roberta Balansin Rigon
• Grantee: Roberta Balansin Rigon
• Company: 3D Pharma Start Up em Saúde Ltda Inova Simples (IS)
• CNAE: Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais
• Pesquisadores principais: Juliana Cordeiro Cardoso
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/12674-0 - Development of analytical techniques aiming the quality control of the obtaining process of the filament and the Melox biochip obtained by 3D printing., BP.TT; 24/14653-0 - Technical training to leverage activities related to printing the prototype (Melox) of 3D Pharma Startup, BP.TT; 24/11091-1 - Development of a customizable anti-inflammatory implant for the veterinary market (Melox), BP.PIPE

Abstract

Brazil is the third country in the number of domestic animals, with 149.6 million pets. Pet market revenue was 60.2 billion in 2022 with an estimated growth of 16.4% per year. The use of medications in pets is recurrent and 77.2% are prescriptions for oral administration, which may cause difficulties for the owner to medicate the pet successfully. 3D Pharma brings the solution through the customized single-dose implant containing meloxicam. The model drug meloxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug widely used in dogs for the symptomatic relief of inflammation, mild to moderate pain and basic therapy for various pathologies. So far, the veterinary market does not have similar technology. With this, the objective is to obtain a medicated implant for subcutaneous administration in pets using 3D technology, analyzing the feasibility of the innovative product from a technical and commercial point of view. The product will provide a sustained release for 3 days, avoiding discomfort from multiple doses and bringing therapeutic efficiency, and comfort to the pet and guardian. The prototype is in TRL-2, 3D Pharma has mastered the handling of the equipment, carried out preliminary tests of meloxicam incorporation in the resorbable polymeric filament, and used this raw material for impressions of the implant, obtaining the MVP in version 1.0. As of Pipe Phase I, quality control will be carried out on the filament using meloxicam content in the filament and on the prototype with mass uniformity tests, hardness, moisture content, content uniformity, in vitro release test, process scalability, cytotoxicity assay, and sterilization assay. At the same time, the approximation will be carried out with veterinarians and the target public through meetings with veterinarians to present the proposal, communication via social networks to integrate the brand into the intended niche, and a survey of technical and market information. In the end, we will have advanced to TRL-3 and prepare the proposal and submission of Pipe Phase 2. (AU)