However, many cancer drugs are only absorbed into the bloodstream in the upper, acidic part of the gastrointestinal tract. Since the residence time of the drug particles in the stomach (~2-3 hours) is much shorter than the usual dosing interval (~12-24 hours), the blood concentration of such drugs fluctuates significantly with repeated intake.
This is not therapeutically ideal: the peak concentration is high, which promotes acute side effects such as heart problems, high blood pressure, liver damage, headaches, and so on, while the minimum concentration is low, reducing the drug’s effectiveness.
To overcome this limitation, Enzian Pharmaceutics has developed a new tablet made of crisscrossed cellulose fiber layers. After ingestion, the tablet expands by absorbing water and forms an expanded, viscoelastic gel that temporarily remains in the stomach and steadily releases the drug.
This concept was validated in a two-part animal study [1,2] conducted at the Diagnostic Imaging Research Unit (DIRU) of the University of Zurich and published in the journal "International Journal of Pharmaceutics." It was shown that the tablet remains in the stomachs of dogs and pigs for about a day without side effects, then dissolves and is excreted. In a subsequent four-part study [3,4,5,6] in the same journal, it was demonstrated that Enzian’s tablet can steadily release cancer drugs into the bloodstream of dogs.
The studies show that Enzian’s tablet enables a constant, optimal blood concentration of the drug, which increases the effectiveness of cancer therapies and reduces unacceptable side effects. According to Dr. Aron Blaesi, Enzian’s founder and CEO, work is currently underway to validate the tablet in humans.
