Technology
The NLC platform: purpose-built for cannabinoid delivery
TurgorTx's Nanostructured Lipid Carrier (NLC) platform is a patented encapsulation technology, engineered specifically to help solve the solubility, stability and absorption challenges unique to cannabinoid actives.
Mechanism
What is an NLC and why it matters for cannabinoids
A second-generation lipid carrier, engineered for difficult actives
Nanostructured Lipid Carriers are nanoscale delivery particles built from a blended matrix of solid and liquid lipids. Unlike first-generation solid lipid nanoparticles, the deliberately imperfect, disordered internal structure of an NLC creates more physical space to house an active ingredient. This improves loading capacity, reduces drug expulsion during storage and gives formulators far greater control over release behaviour.
For a molecule class as lipophilic and unstable as cannabinoids, this structural advantage is not incremental. It is the difference between a product that performs consistently and one that does not.
Disordered solid–liquid lipid matrix
Space to house a lipophilic active
Actives
Why cannabinoids specifically benefit
Cannabinoids present a compounding set of formulation challenges: near-total insolubility in water, sensitivity to light, heat and oxidation, and extensive first-pass metabolism when taken orally. An NLC matrix is designed to address each of these simultaneously — solubilising the active, physically shielding it from degradation, and supporting absorption routes that reduce first-pass losses.
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Near-total insolubility in water
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Sensitivity to light, heat and oxidation
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Extensive first-pass metabolism after oral administration
In detail
The technology in detail
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Nanostructured particle engineering
Precise control of particle size and size distribution supports predictable dispersion behaviour in the intended product matrix, whether an oral oil, a beverage system, a topical or a swallowable dose format.
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High encapsulation efficiency
The solid-liquid lipid matrix is formulated to maximise the proportion of active ingredient successfully entrapped within each particle, reducing waste of high-value cannabinoid material during manufacturing.
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Stability under real-world conditions
Encapsulation is designed to protect actives against oxidative degradation and thermal stress across processing, transport and shelf life — addressing one of the most common causes of potency loss in cannabinoid products.
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Format flexibility
The same core NLC technology can be adapted across oral, sublingual, topical and functional food or beverage applications, giving CMOs and brands a single validated platform across a multi-format product portfolio.
Intellectual property
The patent foundation
TurgorTx's cannabinoid-specific NLC formulations are protected under patent WO2025005799A1, developed through our dedicated formulation R&D program. This gives licensing partners the confidence of working with defensible, IP-protected technology and not an unverified or easily replicated formulation approach.
WO2025005799A1
How we work
From feasibility to formulation
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Ingredient & active review
A technical screening call to assess your cannabinoid active, target format and formulation constraints.
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Prototype design
Definition of performance goals (solubility, stability, target release profile) and the NLC formulation strategy to meet them.
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Lab-scale encapsulation
Development of encapsulated prototypes at R&D scale, ready for evaluation in your intended product system.
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Data review
Joint review of stability, compatibility and formulation performance data, with clear technical next steps.
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License or co-development
A structured path to commercialisation through licensing, co-development or technology transfer.