7 Spanish pharmaceutical companies make up the Cenit “Nanofarma” project, aimed at achieving therapeutic systems smaller than one micron (one millionth of a meter). So far the project has obtained 90 patents and has six molucules in clinical development.

The Nanofarma consortium, composed of Pharma Mar, Rovi, Faes Farma, Noscira, Sylentis, Lipotec and Dentrico, is developing nanometric medicines within the CENIT project “Systems for Addressing Drug Delivery”.

Nanometric medicines are composed of two elements: the active substance and a support or “vehicle” that allows it to reach its objective. Sometimes these “vehicles” are polymeric nanoparticles (formed from polymers) that house the active substance, while at other times they are liposomes (vesicles formed by lipids or fats) in which the active molecule is encapsulated.

Nanomedicine has many advantages over traditional medicine. While traditional medicines are distributed throughout the entire body after being taken, nanomedicines work “locally”, focusing on specific cells or tissues. This not only reduces secondary effects on the rest of the organism, but also the necessary dosage for treatment; further, the medicines remain in the body for longer periods and are more effective given that more of the product reaches its objective.