Serajuddin Research Lab

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Serajuddin Research Lab

Pictured (from left to right): Nayan Solanki, Nitprapa Siriwannakij, Dr. Russell DiGate (Dean, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences), Ankita Shah, Dr. Abu Serajuddin (Professor, Industrial Pharmacy), Anuprabha Meena, Dr. Mohammed Rashel (Post-doctoral Fellow), Amol Batra, Dr. Conrado "Bobby" Gempesaw (President, St. John’s University), Suhas Gumaste, Dr. Simerdeep Singh Gupta (Post-doctoral fellow), Yan Sun

RESEARCH AREAS
The primary mission of the Industrial Pharmacy Program at St. John’s University is to educate and train students to address drug product development needs of pharmaceutical companies in the USA, the majority of which are located in the northeast region of the USA within 200 miles of the university. It is one of the only two such Industrial Pharmacy programs in the USA. To meet the industry needs and develop better drug products, Prof. Abu Serajuddin has built the Industrial Pharmacy Innovation Center at St. John’s University and is currently conducting research in the Center in following areas: 

  • Development of novel drug delivery systems (especially for poorly water-soluble drugs) 
  • Development advanced processing and continuous manufacturing technologies for solid dosage forms
  • 3D printing technology for personalized medications
  • Development of abuse-deterrent drug products
  • Cell culture study for evaluation of formulation safety and drug permeation
     

For questions or general information about the laboratory, please email Dr. Serajuddin at [email protected].

Research and Laboratory Information

Development of solid dispersion of poorly water-soluble drugs by hot melt extrusion

  • Effects of surfactants on itraconazole-HPMCAS solid dispersion prepared by hot-melt extrusion I: Miscibility and drug release. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 108(4), 1453-1465, 2019.
  • Rheological analysis of itraconazole-polymer mixtures to determine optimal melt extrusion temperature for development of amorphous solid dispersion. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 111, 482-491, 2018.

Application of nanoparticle technology for oral bioavailability enhancement

  • Sugar ester nanoparticle stabilizers. US Patent: US 10,166,197B2, January 1, 2019 (assigned to St. John’s University)

Cocrystal technology to improve dissolution and bioavailability of drugs

  • Investigation of possible solubility and dissolution advantages of cocrystals, I: Aqueous solubility and dissolution rates of ketoconazole and its cocrystals as functions of pH. ADMET and DMPK, 7(2), 106-130, 2019.

Development of lipid-based drug delivery systems

  • Effect of different polysorbates on development of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems using medium chain lipids. Drug development and industrial pharmacy, 44(2), 215-223, 2018.
  • Development of self-microemulsifying drug delivery system for oral delivery of poorly water-soluble nutraceuticals. Drug development and industrial pharmacy, 44(6), 895-901, 2018.

Development of solid self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (solid SEDDS)

  • Development of solid SEDDS, VII: Effect of pore size of silica on drug release from adsorbed self-emulsifying lipid-based formulations. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 110, 134-147, 2017.
  • Development of solid self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) I: Use of poloxamer 188 as both solidifying and emulsifying agent for lipids. Pharmaceutical research, 29(10), 2817-2832, 2012.

Super-solubilization and amorphization of drugs by acid-base interaction

  • Development of fast-dissolving amorphous solid dispersion of itraconazole by melt extrusion of its mixture with weak organic carboxylic acid and polymer. Pharmaceutical research, 35, 1-10, 2018.
  • Supersolubilization and amorphization of a model basic drug, haloperidol, by interaction with weak acids. Pharmaceutical research, 30(6), 1561-1573, 2013.

Solubility and dissolution theory

  • Solubility-pH profile of desipramine hydrochloride in saline phosphate buffer: Enhanced solubility due to drug-buffer aggregates. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 133, 264-274, 2019
  • Salt formation to improve drug solubility. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 59(7), 603-616, 2007.

Application of 3D printing technology for development of personalized medications

  • Formulation of 3D printed tablet for rapid drug release by fused deposition modeling: screening polymers for drug release, drug-polymer miscibility and printability. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 107(1), 390-401, 2018.

Melt granulation technology

  • Investigating the use of polymeric binders in twin screw melt granulation process for improving compactibility of drugs. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 106(1), 140-150, 2017.
  • Application of melt granulation technology to enhance tabletting properties of poorly compactible high‐dose drugs. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 100(4), 1553-1565, 2011.

Continuous manufacturing of solid dosage forms

  • Development and optimization of a wet granulation process at elevated temperature for a poorly compactible drug using twin screw extruder for continuous manufacturing. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 106(2), 589-600, 2017.
  • Continuous preparation of 1: 1 haloperidol–maleic acid salt by a novel solvent-free method using a twin screw melt extruder. Molecular pharmaceutics, 14(4), 1278-1291, 2017.

Evaluation of formulation safety and drug permeation using cell cultures

  • Assessment of cell viability and permeation enhancement in presence of lipid-based self-emulsifying drug delivery systems using Caco-2 cell model: Polysorbate 80 as the surfactant. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 99, 350-360, 2017.
  • Cytotoxicity assessment of lipid-based self-emulsifying drug delivery system with Caco-2 cell model: Cremophor EL as the surfactant. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 91, 162-171, 2016.

Drug development strategies

  • Optimizing clinical drug product performance: applying biopharmaceutics risk assessment roadmap (BioRAM) and the BioRAM Scoring Grid. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 105(11), 3243-3255.
  • The biopharmaceutics risk assessment roadmap for optimizing clinical drug product performance. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 103(11), 3377-3397, 2014.
     

LABORATORY SPACE

  • Laboratory B2 (St. Albert’s Hall), 1100 sq. ft.
  • Laboratory B21 (St. Albert’s Hall), 500 sq. ft.
  • Laboratory G9 (St. Albert’s Hall), 650 sq. ft.

In addition, Dr. Serajuddin has a 275-sq ft office that can hold meetings for his research group. All graduate students have their own assigned desk spaces in a separate room. 

RESEARCH EQUIPMENT
Download Industrial Pharmacy Innovation Laboratory, Facilities and Equipment, for a list of research equipment
 

  • In addition to Dr. Serajuddin, there are 7 professors in the Industrial Pharmacy program at St. John’s University, each having own laboratory. All eight of them share lab facilities and resources with each other, as needed.
     
  • The Industrial Pharmacy program is a part of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, which, in addition to Industrial Pharmacy, consists of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Biotechnology having 41 members in the faculty. All of these disciplines have PhD programs, except for biotechnology (MS only), and thus Prof. Serajuddin can conduct advanced and collaborative research in all areas of pharmaceutical sciences. He can also freely use any equipment and facilities in other laboratories, when needed.
     
  • St. John’s University is currently building an Innovation and Incubation Center for collaborative research with different industries and business ventures, including pharmaceutical and biotech industries, to bring ideas and inventions coming out of the university into marketable stage. A central 1,000-sq. ft. office facility for the Center has already been built where internal and external partners as well as other stakeholders can meet and work together. Different existing laboratories in the university are now used for research. There are plans to build new laboratories where industry partners can conduct their own research to develop products. Prof. Serajuddin is a member of the Center, and he will utilize its resources, as needed, to foster collaboration with other colleges in the university as well as with the pharmaceutical industry.

 
For questions or general information about the laboratory, please email Dr. Serajuddin at [email protected].