Drug delivery technology up for innovation award

Cat owners can look forward to fewer scratches while administering medicine thanks to a new drug delivery technology developed by Massey University researchers.

The technology, developed by Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences researchers Kate Hill and Paul Chambers, allows medicine to be administered and absorbed through the skin, rather than having to be given orally.

The innovation is a finalist in the health and science section of the New Zealand Innovation Awards that will be announced this evening.

The technology was developed in conjunction with Bayer New Zealand, which subsequently used it in a new product, Hyper T Earspot, a treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats. Hyperthyroidism is the most common hormonal disorder of cats.

Institute head Professor Frazer Allan says the technology is a breakthrough that has potential in other areas of medicine.

He adds these intellectual property successes are a testament to the way veterinary researchers have worked with industry to create marketable products. “The institute has a long history of innovation and collaboration with the veterinary industry,” he says. “This latest product, developed by our researchers, continues that tradition.”

The New Zealand Innovators Awards will be presented tonight at the Auckland Art Gallery-Toi o Tamaki. Last year, a Massey University-developed innovation – the C-Dax PastureMeter – won the innovation in environment and agriculture award.

Another Massey University researcher, mechatronics Professor Olaf Diegel from the Albany campus, is a finalist in the most inspiring individual category. Professor Diegel has created a series of 3D-printed electric guitars with latticed bodies adorned with spiders and butterflies. 

You can read more about his innovation here.