Abstract: The invention provides a method for the preparation of a carrier liquid which comprises the steps of: (I) preparing a single phase solution comprising: (a) a solvent or a mixture of miscible solvents, (b) a liquid carrier material, which is soluble in solvent (a), and (c) a dopant material which is also soluble in solvent (a); (II) cooling (preferably freezing) the single phase solution produced in step (I) to a temperature at which at least both the solvent (a) and carrier material (b) become solid; and (III) removing solid solvent (a) from the cooled (frozen) single phase solution in vapour form, such that the remaining cooled (frozen) carrier material (b) and dopant material (c) are returned to ambient temperature thus providing a product of liquid carrier material (b) having dopant material (c) dispersed therein.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing an improved composition comprising at least one active agent and at least one solid carrier material, wherein the active agent is dispersed through the carrier material in nano-disperse form, which method comprises the steps of: (a) forming a liquid mixture comprising the active agent, the carrier material, a stabilizing agent, a first solvent for the active agent and the stabilizing agent and, a second solvent for the carrier material, and (b) drying the liquid mixture to remove the first and second solvents to obtain a substantially solvent-free nano-dispersion of the active agent with the stabilising agent in the carrier material, wherein the stabilizing agent is capable of stabilizing the active agent in the liquid mixture during drying and in a resultant liquid nano-dispersion of the improved composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition and an antiviral drug preparation, each comprising at least one water-insoluble antiviral drug and at least one water-soluble carrier material, wherein the water-insoluble antiviral drug is dispersed through the water-soluble carrier material in nano-disperse form. The present invention further provides processes for preparing the compositions and drug preparations, and also aqueous nano-dispersions obtained by combining water and the compositions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a porous material comprising the steps of; (a) providing a C/W emulsion comprising an aqueous phase, a matrix building material, a surfactant and liquid CO2 phase; (b) at least partially freezing the aqueous phase; (c) gasifying CO2 from the liquid CO2 phase to form an intermediate porous material; (d) venting gasified CO2 from the intermediate porous material; and (e) freeze drying the intermediate porous material at least substantially to remove the aqueous phase and form the porous material. The present invention also relates to a porous material obtainable by the method.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing water dispersible or water soluble porous bodies and the bodies themselves The bodies have an intrusion volume as measured by mercury porosimetry of at least about 3 ml/g and comprise a three dimensional open-cell lattice containing less than 10% by weight of a water soluble polymeric material and 5 to 90% by weight of a surfactant, with the proviso that said porous bodies are not spherical beads having an average bead diameter of 0.2 to 5 mm.

Abstract: The invention provides process for making water-soluble nano-dispersions of water-insoluble materials in a water-soluble carrier material comprising the steps of: (i) providing a single phase mixture of: (a) a non-aqueous solvent or a mixture of miscible non-aqueous solvents, (b) at least one carrier material soluble in non-aqueous solvent (a), said carrier material being also soluble in water and solid at ambient temperature, (c) at least one water-insoluble payload material which is soluble in non-solvent (a), and, (ii) drying the mixture to remove solvent (a) and thereby obtain the carrier material (b) in solid form with payload (c) dispersed therein as nanoparticles, wherein the product of the drying step is water dispersible to give an aqueous solution of (b) and an aqueous nano-dispersion of (c).

Abstract: The invention provides process for making contra-soluble nano-dispersions of at most sparingly-soluble materials in a soluble carrier material comprising the steps of: (i) providing a single phase mixture of: (a) a solvent or a mixture of miscible solvents wherein at least one of the solvents is an aqueous solvent and at least another solvent is a non-aqueous solvent, (b) at least one carrier material soluble in solvent (a), said carrier material being also contra-soluble to payload material (c) and solid at ambient temperature, (c) at least one a payload material which is soluble in solvent (a), and, (ii) freeze-drying the mixture to remove solvent (a) and thereby obtain the carrier material (b) in solid form with payload (c) dispersed therein as nanoparticles.

Abstract: Porous bodies which are soluble or dispersible in non-aqueous media comprising a three dimensional open-cell lattice containing (a) 10 to 70% by weight of a polymeric material which is soluble in water immiscible non-aqueous media and (b) 30 to 90% by weight of a surfactant, said porous bodies having an intrusion volume as measured by mercury porosimetry of at least 3 ml/g.