Overview
This project aims to create an ultra‑long‑acting injectable platform capable of delivering antiviral therapy for months at a time. By overcoming the limitations of current treatments, it offers a transformative approach to managing chronic viral infections and improving global patient outcomes.
About this opportunity
Chronic viral infections such as HIV and hepatitis B (HBV) require lifelong therapy, yet daily oral dosing remains a major barrier to adherence and long‑term viral suppression. Ultra‑long‑acting injectable drug delivery systems, capable of sustaining therapeutic levels for several months, offer a transformative alternative. However, current long‑acting technologies are limited to highly lipophilic drugs, leaving a critical gap for the many first‑line antivirals that are hydrophilic and require high, sustained systemic exposure. This PhD project aims to address this unmet need by developing a next‑generation injectable depot platform capable of delivering water‑soluble antiviral agents for 6 months and beyond from a single administration.
The student will design, synthesise, and evaluate innovative depot‑forming systems, such as olegogels, that can load and control the release of hydrophilic antiviral agents. The project will combine advanced materials engineering, drug-excipient interaction design, and mechanistic release modelling to create depots with tuneable release kinetics and long‑term stability. The candidate will develop and characterise formulations using a wide range analytical method including rheology, thermal analysis, spectroscopic mapping, microstructure imaging, and in vitro release testing, supported by quantitative modelling to understand and predict long‑term behaviour. The project’s novelty lies in its focus on hydrophilic antiviral drugs, an area where current long‑acting technologies fail, offering the potential to unlock multi‑month treatment options for millions of patients worldwide.
As a part of the research community of the Centre of Excellence for Long-acting Therapeutics – Global Health (CELT, https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/celt-global-health/), the student will receive comprehensive training in formulation science, material chemistry, drug delivery, in vitro and in vivo methods that are used for medicine development. They will work within a multidisciplinary environment spanning pharmaceutics, materials science, and pharmacology. Collaboration with clinical and industrial partners will provide exposure to translational considerations, regulatory expectations, and real‑world constraints in long‑acting product development. Opportunities for short research placements or industrial visits will further strengthen the student’s technical and professional development.
The project is structured to support progressive independence. Year 1 will focus on foundational training, literature review, and initial formulation design and screening, including hands‑on experience with analytical instrumentation and modelling tools. Year 2 will involve iterative design and optimisation of depot systems, mechanistic studies, and in‑depth characterisation of release behaviour. Year 3 will focus on advanced evaluation, PK modelling based on in vitro data, platform refinement, and preparation of publications for dissemination of findings, career development activities and thesis writing.
This project offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to a rapidly advancing field with significant global health impact. By creating a platform capable of delivering hydrophilic antivirals over many months. The work has the potential to reshape the management of chronic viral infections and inspire new generations of long‑acting therapeutics.