How process engineering makes medicines more effective
Melt electrostatic precipitator to improve the bioavailability of poorly soluble active ingredients: TU Dortmund University receives VIP+ funding
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An active ingredient does not automatically guarantee effectiveness. For a drug to be optimally absorbed in the body, it must dissolve in water, for example - this is not always the case. Prof. Dr. Markus Thommes and his team from the Department of Biochemical and Chemical Process Engineering at the Technical University of Dortmund are researching how drug particles can be optimally embedded in an excipient matrix in order to increase the bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Following successful patenting, research into the so-called "melt electrofilter" is now being funded with almost one million euros as part of the federal funding program VIP+.
Process and device for producing highly soluble dispersions
The research team led by Prof. Thommes has developed a new type of electrostatic precipitator based on wet electrostatic precipitators. This enables drug particles, preferably in the submicron range, to be embedded evenly and gently in a carrier matrix of excipients. The drug particles are first produced by spray drying and then transported to the melt electrostatic precipitator after cooling. The collecting electrode is covered with a melt, which serves as a matrix after solidification. In order to obtain particles in the low micrometer range, a new type of aerosol generator was also developed that can be connected upstream of the melt electrostatic precipitator. "With our process and the device, we have already observed a significant improvement in the dissolution behavior of poorly water-soluble active ingredients. We are delighted that we can now further develop the technology with the validation funding," explains Prof. Thommes from TU Dortmund University. The invention is primarily intended for the production of a pharmaceutical composition, but can also be used in the field of food technology and plant protection.
Patenting as the key to research funding
The strategic patent application, which PROvendis GmbH prepared and submitted on behalf of TU Dortmund University as the central service provider of the innovation2business.nrw network, has proven to be a key success factor in attracting validation projects. The patent, which has been granted in the USA since May 2025 and also enjoys European protection, has already prevailed in the "NRW Patent Validation 2020" funding competition. With funding of 200,000 euros, the technological maturity level was increased in a targeted manner. This has paved the way for the VIP+ validation funding: Prof. Thommes and his team's project will receive further funding of 967,331.31 euros on April 1, 2026. "As we move towards the market, we can see that our broad-based property rights portfolio is an important factor in successfully acquiring funding."
VIP+ funding program
The funding program "Validation of the technological and social innovation potential of scientific research - VIP+" of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space invites scientists to take the first step towards creating economic value or social application of their research results. Validation forms the bridge between idea generation and application in the process of knowledge and technology transfer. The aim of the validation phase is to test, prove and evaluate the innovation potential of the research results and to open up possible areas of application.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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