A university in England and a U.K. pharmaceutical company have developed a first-of-its-kind tablet designed to treat mouth sores caused by high doses of chemotherapy, according to a recent press release.
The dissolvable tablet, which was created in partnership with Aston University in Birmingham and Quest Pharm, works by shielding a patient’s injured mucus membrane while enhancing the natural healing process of damaged mouth tissue. Chemotherapy-induced mouth ulcers not only make patients uncomfortable, but they can make it difficult for them to eat and drink, according to the university release.
Recently, researchers at Aston University have focused on improving mouth-dissolving tablet formulations, which led Quest Pharm to design a product that dissolves quickly upon contact with saliva. The commercially available tablet adheres to the mouth's lining and allows mucus to pass, according to the partners.
Since the tablet contains natural products already licensed for use in humans, they were able to accelerate its development and path to market. Furthermore, the tablet came together through a knowledge transfer partnership, which aims to bring together U.K. businesses, academic partners, and skilled researchers to enhance competitiveness and productivity through improved knowledge, technology, and skills utilization.
