College of Pharmacy Researchers Share Latest Findings on Novel Drug Delivery Technology

Five nasal inhalers with their caps on.
October 31, 2022
Researchers in the lab of Dr. Robert O. (Bill) Williams III, Division Head and Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery at the College of Pharmacy, are advancing an innovative platform technology known as Thin Film Freezing, which could revolutionize administration, distribution and access to both vaccines and therapies.

Pharmacists: The Most Accessible Healthcare Provider, Unless You Have a Substance Use Disorder

White pill bottle with white pills on a black background.
August 23, 2022
P4 students, Megan Yeung, Kami Johnston and Morgan Murchison co-author a peer-reviewed blog in Pulses encouraging educators to adapt to reflect the specific needs of people who use drugs and patients with substance use disorders. This blog also highlights UT Pharmacy as a U.S. leader in substance use disorder and harm reduction education for Pharm.D. students.

Fewer Than Half of U.S. Pharmacies Carry One of the Most Effective Drugs for Opioid Abuse

A pharmacist holding a box of medication.
June 13, 2022
Tara Law from Time writes about how few pharmacies carry buprenorphine, a life-saving drug to help treat opioid use disorder (OUD). Lucas Hill, Pharm.D., BCACP, director of the college's Pharmacy Addictions Research & Medicine (PhARM) program, offers his insight on the issue, and how the DEA's crackdown of the drug puts OUD patients at risk.

Opioid Use Disorder Paper Earns ACCP Award

A box of naloxone vials.
October 8, 2021
A paper from UT College of Pharmacy researchers was awarded the 2021 Outstanding Paper of the Year from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Ambulatory Care Practice Research Network. The paper investigates the availability of buprenorphine and naloxone in Texas to treat opioid use disorder.

Research Provides Further Insight into Causes of Manganese-Induced Parkinsonism

A man smiling in a research lab.
September 7, 2021
Somshuvra Mukhopadhyay, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Hamm Centennial Fellow in Pharmacy, and a team of researchers have released new findings defining the first homeostatic regulatory pathway for manganese in mammalian systems. Identifying these pathways opens up new possible options to prevent or treat manganese-induced parkinsonism and other disorders linked to elevated manganese exposure.

Williams Talks to KXAN About How Thin Film Freezing Can Help Treat COVID Patients

A man wearing glasses.
July 30, 2021
Division Head and Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Dr. Bill Williams was on KXAN News to talk about promising new data from TFF Pharmaceuticals and Augmenta Bioworks. The companies plan to develop Dr. Williams' thin film freezing technology to better deliver antibody treatment directly to the lungs of COVID patients.

Texas Pharmacy Rises to #8 Nationally for Total Research Funding

#8 Total Research Funding Rank for UT Pharmacy.
June 15, 2021
The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy moved up in several research funding categories, as reported in the newly-released rankings from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). The college rose to #8 nationally in total research funding during the 2019-2020 fiscal year, compared to #9 in 2018-2019.

Williams Wants to Turn COVID-19 Vaccine into Powder to Help with Storage and Distribution

A powder in a vial.
November 25, 2020
Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Professor Robert O. (Bill) Williams III, Ph.D. talks to CBS Austin about the potential for his thin film freezing technology to increase the shelf life of COVID-19 vaccines when they become available.

Peppas to Receive Prestigious Oesper Award in Honor of Contributions to Chemistry

A smiling man standing in front of a bookshelf.
November 4, 2020
Nicholas A. Peppas, Sc.D. has been honored with the 2020 Oesper Award from the University of Cincinnati’s Chemistry Department and the Cincinnati Section of the American Chemical Society for his outstanding accomplishments in and contributions to science. The award recognizes his work in biomaterials, drug delivery, bionanotechnology, and nanomaterials.

Live Subject Testing Shows Promising Delivery Method for COVID-19 Antiviral Treatment

A microscopic image.
September 23, 2020
Live subject testing results from the Williams Lab show that dry powder inhalation could be a potent and effective delivery method of the antiviral remdesivir to treat patients affected by COVID-19.