Pharmaceutical Innovation and Development Group (PIDG)
Your Partner in Translational Pharmaceutical Research
Pharmaceutical science is a key strategic research area within UniSA with an ERA ranking of 5 (ourstanding performance well above world standard). The Pharmaceutical Innovation and Development Group (PIDG), led by Prof Sanjay Garg covers the full spectrum, from basic mechanistic studies to preclinical and clinical product development. Our interdisciplinary research is based on the principles of engagement, innovation, translation and impact. With a patient and partnership driven approach, PIDG is a one stop destination for progressing molecules to medicines, ensuring significant savings of time and resources. The team excels in solving difficult product development challenges such as poor solubility, stability, and the need for local and systemic drug targeting. PIDG work closely with several companies developing human and veterinary pharmaceutical, biotechnological, complementary, nutrition and cosmetics products.
Research Focus
PIDG focuses on novel anticancer drug delivery systems, infections, veterinary medicine, and other patient-centric projects:
Cancer drug targeting: both local and systemic delivery approaches:
- Oesophageal and colonic stents as the vehicles for delivering single and the combination of drugs
- Intracellular drug targeting using monocytes specific polymers
- Novel drug loaded site specific and responsive hydrogel for colon cancer
- Actively deliver anticancer agents to breast tumours, by functionalizing drug-loaded and pH responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles with targeting ligands
- 3D Printing technology for drug targeting.
Novel antimicrobial compounds and formulations for human and veterinary applications:
- Preclinical development of new drug candidates with activity against resistant pathogens.
- The role of pH in wound healing and design of novel pH responsive wound healing systems
- Developing new therapeutics for wound repair using nano-technology
Veterinary delivery systems for cattle, horses, pigs, cats, dogs, fish and other animals:
- An innovative long-acting injectable IM formulation for the treatment of equine gastric ulcer
- Antimicrobial formulation for mastitis
- Sustained release formulation for canine otitise infections
- Oral paste formulations for horses
- Delivery systems for use in the pork industry
- Taste masking of drugs used in aquaculture
Patient-centric projects that benefit patients directly and are at the crossroads of pharmacy practice and science:
- Technologies to improve patient adherence, especially in Alzheimer’s Disease
- Extemporaneous compounding stability and product development, in collaboration with local hospitals
- Bioanalysis of drugs in human milk
Collaborations
PIDG team collaborates widely with other academic and research institutions locally and internationally, ensuring access to the latest innovations in product development research. International collaborations are one of our strengths, we have close collaborations with Shandong University in China (China-Australia Centre for Health Science Research, CACHSR); International Medical University (IMU) in Malaysia; Manipal University, Jamia Hamdard, and Nirma University in India, as well as Yaso Pharma, in the USA. The group is very keen to develop new collaborative partners, especially research staff and students exchanges for the short or long term.
Our Facilities
The new facilities in the Cancer Research Institute, are well equipped with state of the art laboratory and pilot scale pharmaceutical development, analysis and characterization equipment for various dosage forms. The team also has easy access to advanced facilities in Future Industries Institute.