European Project Initiated To Develop Image-Guided Localized Drug Delivery

A major new European project has been initiated to develop drug delivery technologies that could change the way treatment for cancer and cardiovascular disease is delivered.

Philips Healthcare (Best, The Netherlands) is leading the project. By delivering drugs directly to disease sites via the patient's bloodstream that are then activated by focused ultrasound pulses, the SonoDrugs project aims to maximize the therapeutic efficiency and minimize the side effects of drug treatments for cancer and cardiovascular disease. The hope is that this level of control will also provide a means of tailoring the therapy to individual patients.

The SonoDrugs project is a partnership between 15 European Union- (EU)-based industrial partners, university medical centers, and academic institutions. It will run for four years and has a budget of €15.9 million, €10.9 million of which is funded under the EU's 7th Framework Program.

The SonoDrugs project has a two-pronged approach: the first is based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance and the second on ultrasound guidance. The MRI-guided drug delivery will focus on cancer treatments.

Members of the SonoDrugs consortium are: The industrial partners Philips (The Netherlands, Germany, and Finland), Nanobiotix (France) and Lipoid (Germany). The university medical centers Erasmus Medical Center (The Netherlands) and Universitäts Klinikum Münster (Germany). The academic institutions University of Cyprus (Cyprus), University of Gent (Belgium), University of Helsinki (Finland), University of London (United Kingdom), University of Tours (France), University Victor Segalen Bordeaux (France), University of Technology Eindhoven (The Netherlands) and the University of Udine (Italy).

Related Links:
Philips Healthcare
EU's 7th Framework Program