Magee-Womens Foundation
3339 Ward Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: (412) 641-8977
Fax: (412) 641-8919
The work of Magee-Womens Research Institute's pharmaceutics program benefits women
in all stages of their lives by providing safe, effective, and
acceptable products and techniques researched and developed
specifically with women in mind.
Pharmaceutics involves the development of essential information used to design drug delivery systems or dosage forms that are acceptable, safe and efficient for patients. Very little information is available for the design of female-specific dosage forms and more information is critical to the development of safe and effective drug products for women.
The pharmaceutics program, let by Lisa Rohan, PhD, at Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI) is dedicated to identifying essential criteria for drug delivery systems designed specifically for women’s health issues. Researchers have developed a system that examines multiple products simultaneously with the same tissue type in order to enable researchers to determine which formulations would have the least negative effects on a specific tissue. Additionally, the group is studying the impact of inactive components of vaginal products on vaginal and cervical tissues. By understanding this, drug products can be designed that will not harm vaginal or cervical tissues.
The program uses these techniques in conjunction with reproductive infectious disease research to examine the role of chemical, physical and biological properties of vaginal and cervical tissues and fluids in the development of female-related products. This information currently is being applied to develop a vaginal microbicide that will protect women from the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Pharmaceutics researchers and clinical oncologists also are perfecting surgical techniques that may lead to less invasive and more predictive treatments for women with cervical cancer. Currently, a new drug is being evaluated that may improve treatment options for women with high-grade dysplasia and early stage cervical carcinoma.
The MWRI pharmaceutics program has become the central contact throughout the country for drug delivery systems targeted at the vagina and cervix. Its work will benefit women in all stages of their lives by providing safe, effective and acceptable products and techniques researched and developed specifically with women in mind.
