HAp+ Drug Delivery System - From smart candy to an oral drug delivery system

Can a candy improve oral health while simultaneously delivering drugs and boosting treatment compliance? HAp+, a sugar-free ‘smart’ candy with calcium that protects against dental erosion, might just be able to do that. It is the successful valorisation of 15 years of clinical research and product development; currently available as a dental health-promoting candy and recommended by the Icelandic dental association (Fig. 1.1). Driven by our passion to promote a healthy lifestyle, we have set ourselves a new and ambitious goal. With this Horizon 2020 Fast Track to Innovation project, we aim to overcome challenges in oral drug delivery by further developing the HAp+ technology as a pharmaceutical drug delivery system (DDS). Interestingly, HAp+ offers additional health-related benefits when used as an oral drug delivery system. It holds great potential for the treatment of oral infections and ulcers, or when used to carry drugs that require oral delivery and uptake. Used as a drug delivery system, HAp+ can overcome current limitations of oral drug delivery, mainly by improving physico-chemical properties of the pharmaceuticals or by enhancing the treatment compliance of patients. Advantages of HAp+ for drug delivery are 1) Physico-chemical properties: Increased solubility for many weak bases, Improved mucosal absorption and bypass gastrointestinal degradation and first-pass effect 2) Treatment compliance: Improved dosage and exposure, taste masking /improved flavour, better after-taste, stimulates saliva production