Iontophoresis expert joins University of Bath
Professor Richard Guy, one of the world's leading experts on a new drug delivery technique, is joining the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology at the University of Bath as the new Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Professor Richard Guy, one of the world's leading experts on a new drug delivery technique, is joining the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology at the University of Bath as the new Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
He is a leading expert in the field of iontophoresis, a technique that allows substances to permeate the skin barrier in both directions by applying a small electric current, thus removing the need for injections.
Diabetics in the US and UK are already benefiting from the new technique thanks to the GlucoWatch‚ developed from research by Professor Guy.
The watch monitors concentrations of glucose continually throughout the day, taking readings every 10 minutes instead of the rather infrequent 'finger-stick' tests dia-betics currently use.
Iontophoresis applies an electric current of less than half a milliamp per cm2. Other than a slight tingling feeling as the current is applied and a slight reddening of the skin which disappears within an hour, users do not feel anything at all. But, while they still have to calibrate the watch twice a day using the pin-prick method, the key difference is that they and their doctors can monitor levels throughout the day, rather than from just one or two isolated samples.
'The GlucoWatch is a marvellous example of what iontophoresis can achieve,' said Professor Guy. 'It is just the beginning, and there are many other developments in the pipeline. Several integrated drug delivery systems based on iontophoresis are now undergoing clinical trials, with products coming on to the market soon. These include a device for delivering a pain-relieving drug through the skin. Simply by pressing a button, patients can bump up their pain relief when they need it most.'
Professor Guy is being joined at the University by his wife, Dr Begona Delgado-Charro, who will lecture on pharmacy and pharmacology as well as carrying out research. Together, they will be focusing on refining the technology behind the GlucoWatch to remove the need for calibration with twice-daily pinprick tests. This involves looking at other substances in the blood that can act as a baseline calibration indicator for glucose levels.
Other research will focus on monitoring levels of drugs in the body. Lithium, for example, is used to treat bipolar disorder but if levels get too high or too low, it can lead to further problems for the patient. Currently, patients have to give a blood sample once a week. Another possibility for the research is measuring the levels of different amino acids in the body to monitor the development of different protein-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's.