HYDERABAD: Researchers at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) have secured an Indian patent for a nanotechnology-based vaginal formulation that seeks to combine protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), anti-inflammatory activity and contraceptive potential in a single topical platform.
Indian Patent No. 602689, granted on Wednesday, covers methods and compositions involving lactoferrin nanoparticles loaded with curcumin, in combination with antiretroviral drugs such as efavirenz, tenofovir and dapivirine.
According to UoH, the technology uses lactoferrin, a naturally occurring protein, as a nanoparticle-based carrier for local vaginal drug delivery. The formulation is designed to bring antiviral and anti-inflammatory components together while incorporating the reported contraceptive potential of curcumin.
The patent describes laboratory and animal studies in which the nanoformulations showed controlled, pH-dependent drug release and sustained antiviral activity. The formulations were also found to be compatible with Lactobacillus, bacteria that form part of the normal vaginal microbiome.
In animal studies, vaginal administration of the nanoformulations resulted in higher local drug availability compared with soluble formulations, while systemic drug absorption was lower. The formulations also showed reduced tissue damage in the reported studies.
The patent, however, represents an early-stage research milestone. The reported findings are based on laboratory and animal studies, and further research, including clinical trials, would be required to establish the formulation’s safety, efficacy and suitability for use in humans, the official added.
