Of mice of men and maize
Anne Grobler
North-West University, South Africa
Pheroid Cluster Incubator, South Africa
: J Pharm Sci Emerg Drugs
Abstract
The Pheroid® delivery system, a nano-based and microbased transporter system, has been shown to have application in multiple sectors, including biopharmaceuticals, complementary medicines, cosmetics and agriculture. These transporter systems can be used to alter the biological and behaviour of the molecules or compounds and hence the functional efficacy of these molecules or compounds in humans, animals, and plants. The scientific validation on the one hand and subsequent economically viable industrialization of such a platform technology on the other require different environments, expertise and functioning. For the industrialization phase of the Pheroid® system, a Pheroid Cluster Incubator was established with the support of South African Department of Trade and Industry. The Pheroid Cluster Incubator is a non-profit company consisting of 7 members that make use of the Pheroid® nano- and micro carriers in their products or are developing products containing the Pheroid® as shown in table 1. The development stages and scientific validation of these products differ, as does the industrialization; benefits and pitfalls of product development within an incubator environment will be discussed.
Biography
Anne Grobler obtained her MSc from the University of Stellenbosch and her PhD from the North-West University. She was employed chronologically by the University of Stellenbosch, the South African Medical Research Council, MeyerZall Laboratories (industry) and the North-West Unviersity. She is the Director of DST/NWU Preclinical Drug Development Platform and CEO of has published more than 55 papers in reputed journals, is inventor or co-inventor of 7 patents granted in various countries.
E-mail: anne.grobler@nwu.ac.za
