Erik Frijlink nominated for Huibregtsen Prize 2016

Prof. Erik Frijlink has been nominated for the Huibregtsen Prize 2016 for his research. The jury chose six research projects from the 24 submissions. On 3 October, the leader of the winning project will be awarded the EUR 25,000 prize money by Minister of Education, Culture and Sciences Jet Bussemaker in the Ridderzaal in The Hague. The report of the jury is available in Dutch.

Erik Frijlink

Erik Frijlink is Professor of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy at the University of Groningen. He researches ways in which to improve the administration, delivery, therapeutic effect and shelf life of medication.

A video of an interview with Erik Frijlink can been seen via deze link

300,000 patients benefit daily
Administering a drug to get it at the right place in the body in order to optimize the therapeutic effect is a research field in itself. This research discipline is mastered by Erik Frijlink. His research group developed a range of innovative powder inhalers, which have now been adopted by major pharmaceutical companies. Frijlinks innovations ensure better treatment of asthma or infections in the lung. Also in the treatment of Parkinson's disease the use of inhalation technologies ensure that the symptoms of the disease disappear earlier.
The research of Frijlink also focuses on targeted drug delivery. For example, this has led to a tablet releasing an agent in the large intestine against Crohn's disease. Finally, Frijlink focuses on the improvement of the shelf-life of drugs. His breakthrough resulted in long-term storage for flu vaccine without cooling.
Daily more than 300,000 patients benefit of the innovations provided by the research Frijlink and that number is growing rapidly. The increasing use of drugs leads to rapidly increasing royalty income on patents Frijlink (in 2015 € 4.8 million), which will benefit the university and the research of his group.

Huibregtsen Prize

The prize was established in 2005 by the board of Stichting De Avond van Wetenschap & Maatschappij (Night of Science and Society Foundation). The prize is for a recent research project that breaks new academic ground and offers excellent prospects of practical application. Every year, all Dutch universities and public research institutes are invited to nominate a research project from the past calendar year for the prize. The prize goes to the leader of the research project.
The prize is awarded on the Night of Science & Society in the Ridderzaal in The Hague and comprises a sculpture – De Denker (The Thinker) by Wil van der Laan – and prize money of EUR 25,000, earmarked for research activities.