Oman’s University of Nizwa has registered a new patent for using nanotechnology to initiate change to Budesonide, the medicine used to treat inflammatory bowel disease.

Unlike the earlier undeveloped drug, the advanced Budesonide drug, which comes in capsules, has been developed to arrive intact in the colon. There the drug is extracted, using the acid nature of intestinal enzymes to deal directly with feces, reported Oman News Agency (ONA).

The medicine developed by Nizwa University spares patients high doses from existing capsules known to dissolve in the upper sections of the alimentary system and cause side-effects without benefiting the body.

International medical drug production companies were seeking ways to upgrade the efficiency of Budesonide. This prompted some major drug firms, like AstraZeneca, to contribute sums towards lab tests after the encouraging results of research at the University of Nizwa, which registered its patent for the same in the US.

The University of Nizwa hopes its invention would cause a shift forwards in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The university is working in cooperation with drug firms to pave the way for clinical applications and streamline production.