MIT engineers have devised a new way to deliver certain drugs in higher doses with less pain, by injecting them as a suspension of tiny crystals. Once under the skin, the crystals assemble into a drug 'depot' that could last for months or years, eliminating the need for frequent drug injections. This approach could prove useful for delivering long-lasting contraceptives or other drugs that need to be given for extended periods of time. Because the drugs are dispersed in a suspension before injection, they can be administered through a narrow needle that is easier for patients to tolerate. 'We showed that we can have very controlled, sustained delivery, likely for multiple months and even years through a small needle,' says Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), an associate member of the Broad Institute, and the senior author of the study. The lead authors of the paper, which appears...
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