FormuMax Scientific, Inc.    Phone: (408) 607-5788   E-mail: info@formumax.com

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Text Box: Services We specialize in a range of formulation and drug delivery technologies from solubility enhancement using liposomes, lipospheres and micellar systems to more sophisticated nano-enabled systems like PEGylated liposomes, PEGylated lipospheres and polymer-based nanoparticles for controlled/sustained delivery of various type of compounds. We have strong expertise and many years of experience in designing and developing parenteral delivery systems with respect to both the drug carrier systems and the drug loading methods for challenging compounds. Our goal is to come up with formulation solutions that are tailored and optimized to fit the compound and the specific need of our partners/customers. Formulation Development Depending on specific need, formulation development project scopes could vary from pre-formulation, formulation feasibility, and prototype development, to scale-up and process optimization Formulation characterization, stability, in vitro/in vivo studies Analytical method development and support Optimization of formulation conditions and carrier matrix using DOE (Design of Experiments) Development of New Technologies New drug carrier designs (chemical and/or physical) and development New drug loading technologies Prodrug designs, synthesis and formulation developments Q-Test Quick formulation screening for solubility enhancement and/or for drug loading test using predefined system (typically 2 - 4weeks turn-around time) Supporting drug discovery and preliminary formulation evaluation

Liposomes post extrusion with 0.4 mm membrane filter

Liposomes post extrusion with 0.2 mm membrane filter
Freeze-fracture EM of 0.1 micron liposomesExtrused liposomes

Liposomes post extrusion with 0.1 mm membrane filter

Liposomes post extrusion with 0.05 mm membrane filter
Text Box: Liposome Preparation There are various methods of liposome preparation and most commonly used include extrusion, sonication, detergent dialysis and homogenization. Although each method has its advantages and drawbacks, extrusion through membrane filters with defined pore size is still the most preferred method, because the possibility of targeting a specific particles size range, narrow size distribution and most importantly it is the most scalable method. The following series of pictures from freeze-fracture electron microscope show the gradual liposome size reduction when the membrane pore size is decreased from 0.4 mm to 0.05mm.