Prof Anand Kondapi, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) in Telangana has been granted a patent for “Novel Formulation containing native or recombinant Apotransferrin or Lactoferrin nanoparticle loaded with biological alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents for targeted delivery". It was on June 19, 2017, that the patent was applied for and it was granted on July 20, 2023, as stated by a press release shared by the university.
The team that worked with Dr Kondapi includes:
- Dr Sonali Khanra
- Dr SL Balakrishna
- Dr Jagadesh Senapathi
- Dr Chukhu Muj
- Neha Tomar
- Antham Soni
As far as the patent goes, it offers targeted delivery formulation which can deliver biological alone or a combination of biological with chemotherapeutic drug or biological with a regulated/delayed delivery of chemotherapeutic agent based on the requirement of the disease. If this technology is realised in a clinical set-up, there will be wide applications and advantages in the treatment of cancer, gene therapy and other related conditions.
During chemotherapy, the biological (DNA, RNA, Antibody) are given separately and drugs are given separately, it is not certain whether both will reach the intended cell like cancer or disease-bearing cells. Thus, encapsulating biological and drug together in a nanoparticle will facilitate the delivery of the drug and biological together facilitating action of both of them in the target cell.