Development of a silicone elastomer vaginal ring for controlled release estrogen replacement therapy

Estrogen replacement therapy is commonly prescribed to replace declining levels of naturally circulating 17β-estradiol in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Various products, regimens and routes of administration are commonly used to administer 17β-estradiol or a synthetic estrogen. Vaginal rings products for estrogen replacement therapy are increasingly popular, since they avoid first-pass metabolism, offer localised delivery at constant rates, reduce systemic side effects, and improve user convenience and adherence.

In this project, the aim is to develop a new silicone elastomer vaginal ring formulation offering controlled release of estrogens at rates/durations suitable for effective therapy. The project—funded by Millicent Pharma—will be completed in the School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). Both Millicent and QUB have a long-established history of expertise in this area of research and product development. 

Eligibility / residence Status

The project funding covers the full cost of tuition fees for ‘home’ applicants.  

To be treated as a home applicant, candidates must meet ONE of the following criteria:

·      be a UK national

·      have settled status in the UK

·      have pre-settled status in the UK

·      have indefinite leave to remain or enter the UK

If a candidate does not meet one of these criteria, they are treated as an international applicant. This also applies to students from EU countries. International applicants may apply for the project, but they are responsible for covering the difference between the home and international tuition fees; details are provided at the link below:

International Tuition Fees

https://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/International-tuition-fees/#postgraduate-research-1445473-3

Start date and duration

There is some flexibility around the start date. However, we anticipate a project start date between March and June 2025. The project is fully funded for 3 years.

Candidate requirements / Key skills required for the post

Applicants should have a 1st or high 2.1 honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject. Relevant subjects include–but are not limited to—Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, Biological/Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or a related discipline. Students who have a 2.2 honours degree and a Masters degree may also be considered. The University reserves the right to shortlist for interview only those applicants who have demonstrated high academic attainment to date.

Deadline for applications

Applications must be received online via the QUB Direct Applications Portal (see below) by 11.00 pm Wednesday 12th March 2025.

How to apply / contacts

Postgraduate Research applicants must apply via the Direct Applications Portal, for which the link is:

https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/user/u_login.php

External applicants will first need to sign up as a new user.

Applicants do not need to draft a detailed research proposal. Instead, applicants can simply copy and paste the summary project description provided above. A scope of work has already been defined by the sponsor and the academic supervisors.

Relevant links / more information

Research at the School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast

http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPharmacy/Research/ 

Prof. Karl Malcolm’s research homepage

https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/karl-malcolm

Dr. Peter Boyd homepage

https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/peter-boyd

Millicent Pharma

https://www.linkedin.com/company/millicent-pharma

Training provided through the research project

The project will provide high-quality, industrially relevant training and skills in the formulation development and testing of controlled release drug products, and drug-releasing vaginal rings in particular.

·      polymer characterisation

·      formulation of drugs in silicone elastomers

·      drug product testing (including dissolution/in vitro release testing, thermal analysis, HPLC, extractables, content assay, NMR, rheology, etc.)

Expected impact activities

This project is intended to inform and support ongoing drug product development activities at Millicent Pharma.