Faculty & Staff Details

	Name:	Fakhrul Ahsan
	Position:	Associate Professor
	Email:	fakhrul.ahsan@ttuhsc.edu
	Bio	Dr. Ahsan is an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He joined the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy as an assistant professor in 2001 and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2008. Dr. Ahsan received his Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honors) and Master of Pharmacy Degrees from the University of Dhaka (Dhaka, Bangladesh). After working for a Pharmaceutical Company for two years, Dr. Ahsan went to the University of Madrid (Madrid, Spain) where he earned a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics in 1999. He was awarded an International Scholarship by the Government of Spain to carry out his Doctoral Study at the University of Madrid. Later, he completed a post-doctoral fellowship (1999-2001) in the School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, Alabama). Dr. Ahsan’s research interest is noninvasive drug delivery via the respiratory tract and he teaches pharmaceutics to graduate and PharmD students . He has published extensively on nasal and pulmonary delivery of low molecular weight heparins and insulin. He serves as a reviewer of multiple journals including Pharmaceutical Research, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, International Journal of Pharmaceutics and Journal of Controlled Release. He is currently serving on the editorial board of Journal of Drug Targeting. He has been awarded Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center President’s Young Investigator Award 2004. He is also a recipient of Invitation Fellowship (2005) from the Japanese Society for Promotion of Science at Hokkaido University in Hokkaido, Japan.

Education:

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics, University of Madrid, 1999

Master of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, 1992

Bachelor of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, 1990

Research Interests:

Over the past two decades, nasal and pulmonary routes have been proposed as potentially useful alternative to conventional parenteral routes of administration. Because of rich vasculature and highly permeable structure of the respiratory tract, a large number of drugs can be administered via the nasal and pulmonary routes. In fact, peptide drug delivery is an intensive area of research because patient compliance to treatment regimens for a variety of devastating diseases, including diabetes, deep vein thrombosis and osteoprosis, is suboptimal. Research in Dr. Ahsan’s laboratory is directed to the exploration of nonparenteral routes of administration of high molecular weight drugs such as insulin, low molecular weight heparins and calcitonin. Various absorption promoters, bioadhesive and cationic polymers are used to enhance absorption of peptide drugs from nasal, pulmonary and rectal routes. The mechanisms by which peptide drugs are absorbed through these nonparenteral routes of administration are also investigated. Dr. Ahsan believes that understanding of what exactly constitutes the permeability barrier to peptide drug absorption from nonparenteral routes can help develop suitable formulations for high molecular weight drugs.

Publications:

S. Bai, V. Gupta, F. Ahsan* (2009) Cationic liposomes as carriers for aerosolized formulations of an anionic drug: safety and efficacy study. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 38, 165-171.

C. Thomas, V. Gupta, F. Ahsan* (2009) Influence of surface charge of PLGA particles of recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen in enhancing systemic and mucosal immune responses, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 379:41-50.

C. Thomas, F. Ahsan* (2009). Dendrimers: as a carrier for delivery of biopharmaceuticals, In: Delivery Technologies for Biopharmaceuticals: Peptides, Proteins, Nucleic Acids and Vaccines (Hanne Moerck Nielsen & Lene Jørgensen Ed.) John Wiley & Sons, Southern Gate, Chichester, UK, pp. 149-168.

S. Bai, F. Ahsan* (2009) Synthesis and evaluation of pegylated dendrimeric nanocarrier for pulmonary delivery of low molecular weight heparin, Pharmaceutical Research, 26: 539-548.

A. Rawat, F. Ahsan* (2008) Inhalable large porous microspheres of low molecular weight heparin: in vitro and in vivo evaluation, Journal of Controlled Release, 128: 224-232.

A. Rawat, T. Yang, A. Hussain, F. Ahsan* (2008) Complexation of a poly-L-arginine with low molecular weight heparin enhances pulmonary absorption of the drug, Pharmaceutical Research 25: 936-948.

C. Thomas, F. Ahsan* (2008) Nasal delivery of peptide and nonpeptide drugs, In: SC Gad ed. Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Handbook: Production and Process, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, pp. 591-681.

C. Thomas, A. Rawat, S. Bai and F. Ahsan* (2008) Feasibility study of inhaled hepatitis B vaccine formulated with tetradecylmaltoside. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 97: 1213-1223.

S. Bai, T. Yang, T. J. Abbruscato, F. Ahsan* (2008) Evaluation of human nasal RPMI 2650 cells grown at an air-liquid interface as a model for nasal drug transport studies. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 97: 1165-1178.

S. Bai, C. Thomas, F. Ahsan* (2007) Dendrimers as a carrier for pulmonary delivery of enoxaparin, a low molecular weight heparin. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 96, 2090-2106.

S. Bai, C. Thomas, A. Rawat, F. Ahsan* (2006) Recent progress in dendrimer-based nanocarriers. Critical Reviews in Therapeutic Drug Carrier Systems 23: 437-495.

T. Yang, A. Hussain, S. Bai, Ikramy A. Khalil, H. Harashima and F. Ahsan* (2006). Positively charged polyethylenimines enhance nasal absorption of negatively charged drug, low molecular weight heparin. Journal of Controlled Release, 115, 289-297.

A. Hussain, F. Ahsan* (2006). Indication of transcytotic movement of insulin across human bronchial epithelial cells. Journal of Drug Targeting, 14: 181-190.

A. Hussain, Q.H. Majumder, F. Ahsan* (2006) Inhaled insulin is better absorbed when administered as a dry powder compared to solution in the presence or absence of alkylglycosides. Pharmaceutical Research, 23: 138-147.

A. Hussain, F. Ahsan* (2005) State of insulin self association does not affect its absorption from the pulmonary route, European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 25, 289-298.

F. Ahsan* and J. Klein (2005) Microarray analysis and response of the lungs to inhaled insulin. Diabetes Technology and Therapeutic 7:525-527.

M.A. Khan and F. Ahsan (2005) Formulation and route of administration – influencing drug permeability and absorption, In: Rogge and Taft eds. Preclinical Drug Development, Marcel Dekker, NY, 221-250.

A. Hussain, F. Ahsan* (2005) The vagina as a route for systemic drug delivery. Journal of Controlled Release 103: 301-313.

T. Yang, JJ Arnold, F. Ahsan* (2005) Tetradecylmaltoside (TDM) enhances in vitro and in vivo intestinal absorption of enoxaparin, a low molecular weight heparin. Journal of Drug Targeting 13: 29-38.

T. Yang, F. Mustafa, S. Bai, F. Ahsan* (2004) Pulmonary delivery of low molecular weight heparins. Pharmaceutical Research 21: 2009-2016.

T. Yang, A. Hussain, J. Paulson, T.J. Abbruscato, F. Ahsan (2004) Cyclodextrins in Nasal Delivery of Low Molecular Weight Heparins: in vivo and in vitro Studies, Pharmaceutical Research 22, 1127-1136

J. Arnold, F. Ahsan, E. Meezan, D. Pillion (2004) Correlation of tetradecylmaltoside induced increases in nasal drug delivery with peptide size and with morphological changes in nasal epithelial cells, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 93, 2205-2213

F. Mustafa, T. Yang and F. Ahsan (2004) Chain length dependent effect of alkylmaltosides on nasal absorption of low molecular weight heparin, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 93, 675-683.

T. Yang. F. Mustafa, F. Ahsan (2004) Alkanoylsucroses in nasal delivery of low molecular weight heparins: in-vivo absorption and reversibility studies in rats Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 56: 53-60.

A. Hussain and F. Ahsan (2004) Absorption Promoters in intrapulmonary drug delivery Journal of Controlled Release 94, 15-24.

A. Hussain, T. Yang, A.A. Zaghloul, F. Ahsan (2003) Pulmonary absorption of insulin mediated by tetradecyl-beta-D-maltoside and dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin. Pharmaceutical Research 20, 1551-1557.

F. Ahsan, J.J. Arnold,T. Yang. E. Schiewbert E. Meezan and D.J. Pillion (2003) Alkylglycosides and dimethyl-ß-cyclodextrin enhance movement of insulin across respiratory epithelial cells by different mechanisms. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 20, 27-34.

A A Zoughloul, A Hussain, M A Khan, F. Ahsan (2003) Development of an HPLC method for the determination of cyclosporin-A in rat blood and plasma using naproxen as an internal standard. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis 31, 1101-1107.

F. Ahsan, J.J. Arnold, E. Meezan and D.J. Pillion (2003) Sucrose cocoate, a component of cosmetic preparations, enhances nasal and ocular peptide absorption. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 251, 195-203.

J.J. Arnold, F. Ahsan, E. Meezan and D.J. Pillion (2002) Nasal delivery of low molecular weight heparin enoxaparin. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 91, 1707-1714.

D. Pillion, F. Ahsan, J.J. Arnold, B. M. Balusubramanian, and Olga Piraner, E. Meezan, (2002) Synthetic long-chain alkylglycosides as enhancers of nasal insulin absorption. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 91, 1456-1462.

F. Ahsan, I.P. Rivas, M.A Khan, A. I. Torres-Suárez (2002) Targeting to Macrophages: Role of Physicochemical Properties of Particulate carriers-Liposomes and Microspheres—on the Phagocytosis by Macrophages. Journal of Controlled Release. 79, 29-40.

R. Shah, F. Ahsan, M.A. Khan (2002) Oral Delivery of Proteins: Progress and Prognostication. CRC Crit. Rev. Drug Deliv. Therap. Carrier, 19, 137-170.

F. Ahsan, J.J. Arnold, E. Meezan and D.J. Pillion (2001) Enhanced bioavailability of calcitonin formulated with alkylglycosides following nasal and ocular administration in rats. Pharmaceutical Research, 18, 1742-1746.

F. Ahsan, J.J. Arnold, E. Meezan and D.J. Pillion (2001) Mutual inhibition of the insulin absorption-enhancing properties of dodecylmaltoside and dimethyl-beta- cyclodextrin following nasal administration. Pharmaceutical Research 18, 608-614.

M.D. Veiga and F. Ahsan, (2000) Tolbutamide/hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin interactions in solution and solid state, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 48, 793-797.

M.D. Veiga and F. Ahsan, (2000) Influence of surfactants present in the dissolution media over the release behavior of tolbutamide from its inclusion complex with beta-cyclodextrin, European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 9, 291-299.

M.D. Veiga and F. Ahsan, (1998) Study of tolbutamide solubility in monocomponent and dicomponent aqueous solutions. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 160, 43-49.

M.D. Veiga, P.J. Díaz and F. Ahsan, (1998) Interactions of griseofulvin with cyclodextrins in solid binary system. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 87, 891- 900.

M.D. Veiga and F. Ahsan, (1997) Influence of surfactants over the dissolution of mequitazine. Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 23, 717-719.

M.D. Veiga and F. Ahsan, (1997) Study of surfactants/ß-cyclodextrin interactions over mequitazine dissolution. Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 23, 721-725.