Long-Acting Drug Delivery Systems: Pharmaceutical, Clinical, and Regulatory Aspects

Prof. Eneko Larrañeta holds the Chair in Pharmaceutical Materials Science at the School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, specialising in drug delivery systems and biomaterials. He earned a BSc in Chemistry and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Navarra, where his research centred on self-assembled hydrogels. After completing his PhD in 2012, Prof. Larrañeta worked as a research fellow in nanotechnology for drug delivery before joining Queen's University Belfast in 2013 to advance microneedle technology for transdermal drug delivery. His expertise spans hydrogels, nano/microparticles, and microneedle-based systems. Currently, his research focuses on implantable systems for sustained drug release, utilising techniques like melt processing and additive manufacturing. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, edited multiple books, and contributed numerous book chapters. Prof. Larrañeta has secured funding from leading organisations and collaborated widely with pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies. He has been named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher and recognised among the top 2% of scientists in his field by Stanford University’s analysis using Scopus data. He is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy and a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society for Applied Microbiology.Dr Thakur obtained his PhD in Drug Delivery from School of Pharmacy, Queens University Belfast (2009), M.Sc in Pharmaceutical Sciences from University Science Malaysia (2006) and B.Pharm from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, India (2002). His current research involves the fabrication and design of novel long-acting injectable and implantable drug delivery systems for treating back of the eye disorders. Dr Thakur's ocular drug delivery research has led to the formation of Re-Vana Therapeutics Ltd. He is currently acting as the CSO for Re-Vana. He is Chair for Ocular Delivery (OcD) Focus Group supported by the mission of Controlled Release Society (CRS). He has authored over 150 scientific publications, including 52 peer-reviewed research papers, 10 book chapters and 4 textbooks. He has been an invited speaker at a number of national/international meetings. He is currently Editorial Board member of the International Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Chronicles of Pharmacy and SCIENCEDOMAIN international, and Scientific advisor for Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Professor Ryan Donnelly holds the Chair in Pharmaceutical Technology at the School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, where he is Director of Research. A registered pharmacist, his research is centred on design and characterisation of advanced polymeric drug delivery systems for transdermal and intradermal drug delivery, with a strong emphasis on improving patient outcomes. He is currently developing a range of novel microneedle technologies through independent research, but also in collaboration with several major pharmaceutical companies. His work has attracted more than £30 million in funding and he has authored over 1000 peer-reviewed publications, including 11 patent applications, 7 textbooks, 28 book chapters and approximately 360 full papers. He leads a personal research group of approximately 50 people from 15 different countries and has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international conferences. Professor Donnelly is Europe/Africa Editor of Drug Delivery & Translational Research. He has won the International Association for Pharmaceutical Technology (APV) Research Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Pharmaceutical Sciences (2024), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Harrison Medal (2024), the Kydonieus Foundation Transdermal Delivery Award (2024), the European Journal of Pharmaceutics & Biopharmaceutics Most Cited Paper Award (2023), the Drug Delivery & Translational Research Best Paper Award (2023), Visit Belfast’s Ambassador Award for Life & Health Sciences (2022), the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences Innovative Science Award (2020), Evonik’s Resomer Award (2018), the Controlled Release Society’s Young Investigator Award (2016), BBSRC Innovator of the Year (2013), the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Pharmaceutical Research Meritorious Manuscript Award (2013 & 2022), the GSK Emerging Scientist Award (2012), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Science Award (2011) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland’s Gold Medal (1999).