B.AWW.0014 - Nanoparticle technologies to extend the duration of action of meloxicam – Part 1

Summary

There is an increasing expectation that surgical husbandry procedures will be accompanied by the use of therapeutics (mainly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – NSAIDS) to mitigate pain in animals. The uptake of these medicines is now measured and reported on by both sustainability frameworks as a proxy for an improvement in animal wellbeing in the red meat industry.

The NSAIDS we have in our pain-relieving arsenal don’t work particularly well and last for, at best, 36 hours. The search for better chemicals is ongoing. This project aims to use novel methods (nanoparticle technology) to extend the duration of action of the longest acting NSAID, Meloxicam, from 36 hours to up to two weeks.

MLA's investment in this pilot experiment is to determine whether nanoparticle technology can be used to potentiate the duration of action of Meloxicam and potentially many other therapeutics for the benefit of animal health and welfare and the maintenance of the social license to farm animals.

Objectives

This project aims to develop a slow-release and long-acting meloxicam prototype formulation, ideally in the time window from several weeks to one month. Meloxicam will be encapsulated in various types of polylactic acid-hydroxyacetic acid copolymer (PLGA) microspheres, and PLGA composites with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN).

Key findings

Meloxicam can be added to nanoparticles and released slowly (seven days) in vitro.

Benefits to industry

Extending the duration of action of Meloxicam.

MLA action

MLA will continue to fund research in this area and engage this service provider to complete this work.

Future research

Phase two of this work will be to conduct in-vivo experiments to measure plasma concentrations of meloxicam over time in ruminants using the most viable nanoparticle prototype. Development of a commercial product will also require further research.