The aim of bone replacement or fracture treatment methodologies is to induce tissue regeneration respecting anatomy and try to recover functionality. This goal was initially achieved in the 17th century by using animal or human grafts and several medical devices made of natural and synthetic materials are currently used having a whole range of chemical and physical properties. Research in this field continues to seek a solution to the disadvantages usually found when using grafts: immunological reactions, the risk of microbiological contamination, the absence of donors, the need for several surgical interventions and the risk of disease transmission. Basic and applied research must thus be carried out not only in the development of biology and studies about embryonic stem cells but also in the field of new material development. This tendency may be clearly detected by looking at the vast numbers of studies related to using metallic, polymer and ceramic materials and, at present, compound or hybrid materials having potential use in orthopaedic implants. Most of them fulfil conditions regarding biocompatibility and non-toxicity and could be considered when designing biodegradable materials thereby making it feasible to identify a range of research subjects on biomaterials. This paper starts by identifying material development periods and then establishes the advantages and disadvantages of groups which have been considered for bone regeneration and identifies some guidelines which should be taken into account in the field of biodegradable materials in the near future. There is still a long way to go in this subject, especially regarding the field of materials science and technology

The pharmaceutical industrial has five subsectors: medicines, cosmetics, phytotherapeutics, cleaning products and medical devices. The medicine subsector consists of organisations producing, importing and selling these products. Most studies about this industry have been guided by economic interests without assessing technological aspects of production. This article was aimed at proposing a methodology for assessing and describing the medicine sector according to its technological development by using the manufacturing capability concept. The main information was taken from the Colombian Medicaments and Food Surveillance Institutes (Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos - INVIMA) databases related to pharmaceutical plant production in Bogotá, including material transformation facilities. This study led to three characteristics being identified for defining the pharmaceutical industrys manufacturing capability: that related to the pharmacological group to which active pharmaceutical ingredients belong, that linked to specifications regarding medicines sterility and that related to the technology required for manufacturing each pharmaceutical product. An analysis of these features has thus been presented and some technologies have been identified which have not been transferred or assimilated by the organisations being studied. It was found that manufacturing capability should be considered as being an indicator of the degree of technological development in these subsectors in Colombia.

Propuesta de una metodología para el estudio de competencia tecnológica, en empresas fabricantes de medicamentos

Introducción: Durante el diseño y formulación de formas farmacéuticas, o en caso de alguna transformación por la necesidad de ajustar la dosis o adecuarlo al estado del paciente, es necesario verificar las características químicas, físicas y biológicas de todos los componentes que harán parte de la formulación del producto final. Lo anterior con el fin de garantizar que la preparación sea estable, eficaz, segura, fácil de administrar y bien tolerada. Objetivo: Estudiar las propiedades físicas y químicas de una preparación extemporánea líquida de maleato de enalapril para administración peroral, elaborada a partir de tabletas comercialmente disponibles en el mercado colombiano, haciendo uso de prácticas comunes en los centros hospitalarios para su preparación. Materiales y métodos: Como vehículos se utilizaron: una solución en proporción 1:1 de dextrosa en agua al 5% y agua destilada (vehículo 1) y una solución de la misma composición del vehículo 1 ajustada a pH 3,0 con ácido ascórbico (vehículo 2). Las muestras se envasaron en frascos ámbar o transparentes y se almacenaron a 5±2 °C y 25±2 °C durante 360 horas. El maleato de enalapril se cuantificó a las 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 120, 168, 240 y 360 horas, usando una metodología validada, la cual demostró ser selectiva, lineal, precisa y exacta. Resultados: Los resultados indican que el pH es un factor que afecta el tiempo de vida útil de las preparaciones líquidas extemporáneas de maleato de enalapril. La estabilidad de la preparación extemporánea se conservó hasta 240 horas usando el vehículo 1 y almacenándola a una temperatura de 5±2 °C en frasco ámbar.