UW-Madison School of Pharmacy is home to the new Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development

Ed Elder, administrative director of the Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development (right), with Mark Sacchetti, scientific director of the Zeeh Pharmaceutical Experiment Station at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy

Through the support of alumnus Leon Lachman, the institute harnesses expertise and enhances collaboration to move therapies from the lab into the clinic

MADISON, WI, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy is launching a new center to leverage expertise across the School of Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences Division and greater UW–Madison campus community to advance the development of new drugs.

The new Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development — made possible by renowned leader in dosage form design Leon Lachman — consolidates research into drug discovery, drug action, and drug delivery to accelerate the progress of new therapies from labs and into clinic settings.

“The UW–Madison School of Pharmacy has a strong focus on leading-edge pharmaceutical discovery and development, with world-renowned faculty and a home on a campus that consistently ranks as one of the best in the world for research productivity,” said School of Pharmacy Dean Steve Swanson. “With the establishment of the Lachman Institute, we can further augment our capabilities, leverage new collaborations, and be better positioned to stay on the frontlines of innovation.”

The Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development is comprised of several research units at the School of Pharmacy:
• Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystems (WisCNano), a collaborative research center devoted to nanotechnology-based platforms to prevent and monitor various diseases, including cancer
• Medicinal Chemistry Center, focused on the design and synthesis of novel small molecule-based therapeutics
• Analytical Instrumentation Center, which offers state-of-the-art instrumentation and ancillary equipment and expertise in their operation
• Zeeh Pharmaceutical Experiment Station, which provides pharmaceutical and biotechnology development-related services to on- and off-campus partners.

“The new Institute will increase visibility of drug development projects, create a cohesive alliance for collaborative grant submissions, and establish an umbrella structure to coordinate multidisciplinary research and instrumentation needs for conducting drug development to become a powerful drug development engine,” said School of Pharmacy Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education Arash Bashirullah, who also serves as executive director of the Lachman Institute.

With a particular focus on biotherapeutics and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, along with related analytical techniques, the Lachman Institute will provide specialized capabilities to enable nanoparticle delivery for chemotherapy drugs, immunotherapy, cell therapy, and therapeutic genes.

The Institute also will engage the School’s Division of Pharmacy Professional Development and the new UW–Madison Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances, as well as partners across the UW–Madison campus, such as the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Carbone Cancer Center, Materials Science Center at the College of Engineering, Molecular Structure Laboratory at the Department of Chemistry, the Office of Business Engagement, the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) Therapeutics.

“As an academic center, the School of Pharmacy is uniquely equipped for drug delivery and drug formulation work, which we can more effectively leverage through this new institute,” said Ed Elder, administrative director of the Lachman Institute. “We’re excited to see what our new powerhouse can do to advance research and development of lab-to-clinic therapies. With our campus partners, we’re positioned to make significant contributions to patient care through innovative drug therapies.”

Ed Elder
UW-Madison School of Pharmacy
+1 608-890-1198
edmund.elder@wisc.edu
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