UT 3D Printing Labs Enter Patent License Agreement to Develop Digital 3D Drug Manufacturing and Advanced Drug Delivery Systems

By Nick Nobel
July 17, 2020
Patient-centric 3D printing paradigm of medicines at the point-of-care. Flowchart illustration of patients, caregive, doctor, formulation scientist, computer aided digital design, and 3D printing producing medicines for different patients.

Patient-centric 3D printing paradigm of medicines at the point-of-care.

The University of Texas at Austin and CoM3D Limited (CoM3D), a company focused on commercialization of advanced drug manufacturing and delivery technologies, announced they have entered into a patent license agreement. UT Austin has granted CoM3D a royalty bearing license to develop, make and supply certain advanced drug manufacturing and delivery technologies based on UT innovations, and to also provide continued research and development, technical expertise and development support.

The team of pharmaceutical scientists, led by The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy Assistant Professor Mo Maniruzzaman, seeks to find alternative ways to develop and manufacture medicines to more effectively deliver them into the hands of patients. Maniruzzaman heads the newly developed Pharmaceutical Engineering and 3D Printing (PharmE3D) labs in the Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery.

“Our research in advanced pharmaceutical translational sciences was always driven to fill the gap between pharmaceutical needs and availability,” says Maniruzzaman. “An important and meaningful vision shared with appropriate collaborators and stakeholders marks a significant milestone.” UT and CoM3D will collaborate on multiple drug manufacturing and delivery technology development programs.

“We look forward to expanding upon the productive partnership with CoM3D as it adapts and evolves advanced drug manufacturing and delivery technologies to fit the challenges and changing needs of industry,” said Dan Hussey, senior technology licensing specialist at UT’s Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC). “Dr. Maniruzzaman and his team bring a wealth of experience to the pharmaceutical field which will ultimately result in bringing commercialized products to the market benefitting patients around the world.”

“Major trends influencing the future of healthcare—such as digital health, precision medicine, complexity, of drug combinations and side-effects and an ever-increasing focus on cost—provide a clear focus,” says CoM3D CEO Dr. Anthony Thomson. “CoM3D is focused on developing platform technologies to address these trends in healthcare and on building a team that can effectively commercialize advanced manufacturing and delivery technologies using proven business models which will support rapid scaling. This is an exciting time for invention in the healthcare sector; with renewed focus on infectious disease and the therapeutics and vaccines needed to control and protect us having a greater need than ever. We are delighted to work closely with the UT’s Office of Technology Commercialization and Dr. Maniruzzaman and his team to develop and commercialize exciting new technologies to solve some of the challenges in healthcare.”

“I’m excited that CoM3D has become one of our first major collaborators and is sponsoring research aimed at solving key unmet challenges in pharmaceutical manufacturing, 3D printing and advanced drug delivery,” adds Maniruzzaman. “I’m also proud and privileged to have a dynamic and tireless PharmE3D team that continues to play a pivotal role in delivering excellence throughout our research.”

The Pharmaceutical Engineering and 3D Printing (PharmE3D) labs, led by Dr. Maniruzzaman, represent a state-of-the-art facility established in 2019 with faculty start-up support and a Faculty Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention (STARs) award with a combined value of $1 million from UT Austin. The labs are housed within the Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery in UT’s College of Pharmacy and are dedicated to pharmaceutical continuous manufacturing, process engineering, 3D printing and 3D bioprinting.

PharmE3D hosts more than 15 postdoctoral researchers, Ph.D. students, undergraduate students and visiting researchers. Since their inception, PharmE3D labs have secured funding to conduct leading-edge research in 3D printed pharmaceutical dosage forms (i.e. tablets, capsules), process engineering and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, medical devices (i.e. hybrid bandages), and smart medical devices with a grant value in excess of $1.8 million, with contracts for another three proposals currently under process (grant value estimated at $1.5 million).

About CoM3D Ltd

CoM3D develops advanced therapeutic and immunologic delivery systems to address the future challenges in healthcare. It was born out of the recognition that healthcare is changing. CoM3D is developing platform technologies to address these trends in healthcare and has assembled a team of leading scientists with the clinical and industry experience to rapidly bring these technologies to market through proven and scalable business models. Learn more about CoM3D Ltd at CoM3Ds.com.

Read the news release regarding UT’s partnership with CoM3D.