What is Claimed:

1.

A method for producing lipidbased cochleates comprising the steps of : a) providing an aqueous suspension of liposomes; b) mixing the liposome suspension with polymer A; c) adding the liposome/polymer A suspension into a solution comprising polymer B, wherein polymer A and polymer B are immiscible, thereby creating a twophase polymer system; d) adding a solution of a cationic moiety to the twophase polymer system; and e) washing the twophase polymer system to remove the polymers.

2.	A method of claim 1 wherein the addition of liposome/polymer A suspension is done by injection.

3.	A method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the liposomes are formed of lipid comprising negatively charged lipid.

4.	A method of claim 3 wherein the negatively charged lipid is phosphatidylserine.

5.	A method of claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the lipid comprises a minor amount of other lipids.

6.	A method of claim 5 wherein the other lipid is selected from the group of zwitterionic lipids.

7.	A method of claim 5 wherein the other lipid is selected from the group of cationic lipids.

8.	A method of claim 5 wherein the other lipids are selected from the group of lipids capable of forming hydrogen bonds to a biologically active molecule.

9.	A method of claim 8 wherein the neutral lipid is a PEGylated lipid.

10.	A method of any preceding claim wherein polymer A is at least one member selected from the group consisting of dextran and polyethylene glycol.

11.	A method of any preceding claim wherein the concentration of polymer A in the two phase polymer system ranges in concentration from 2 to 20% w/w.

12.	A method of any preceding claim wherein polymer B is at least one member selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylalcohol, Ficoll, polyvinyl methyl ether, and polyethylene glycol.

13.	A method of any preceding claim wherein the concentration of polymer B in the two phase polymer system is the range of 2 to 20% w/w.

14.	A method of any preceding claim wherein the twophase polymer solution is at least one member selected from the group consisting of dextran/polyethylene glycol, dextran/polyvinylpyrrolidone, dextran/polyvinylalcohol, dextran/Ficoll and polyethylene glycol/polyvinyl methyl ether.

15.	A method of any preceding claim wherein the cationic moiety comprises a dior highervalent ion.

16.	A method of any preceding claim wherein the cationic moiety comprises a dior highervalent metal ion.

17.	A method of claim 16 wherein the metal ion is added as a salt of an inorganic acid, preferably wherein the salt is calcium chloride, zinc chloride or cobalt chloride.

18.	A method of any preceding claim wherein the lipid cochleates are smallsized cochleates.

19.	A method according to claim 18 wherein the size of the cochleates is less than 1 micron.

20.	A method according to claim 18 wherein the cochleates are formed using small unilamellar liposomes.

21.	A method according to any preceding claim wherein the aqueous suspension of liposomes comprises a biologically relevant molecule, whereby the cochleates also comprise the biologically relevant molecule.

22.	A method according to claim 21 which comprises the preliminary step of forming the liposome suspension by forming a film comprising a mixture of the biologically relevant molecule and lipid and contacting the film with an aqueous phase to form the aqueous suspension of small unilamellar liposomes.

23.	A method according to claim 21 in which the biologically relevant molecule is present in the aqueous phase.

24.	A method according to claim 23 comprising the preliminary step of forming liposomes in which a film of lipid is contacted with aqueous phase containing the biologically relevant molecule to form the aqueous suspension of liposomes.

25.	A method according to claim 21 including a preliminary step in which a suspension of empty liposomes is mixed with the biologically relevant molecule to form the said liposome suspension.

26.	A method according to claim 23 wherein the biologically relevant molecule bears a charge.

27.	A method according to claim 26 wherein the biologically relevant molecule is positively charged.

28.	A method according to claim 26 wherein the biologically relevant molecule is negatively charged.

29.	A method according to claim 23 wherein the negatively charged molecule is a polynucleotide.

30.	A method according to claim 29 wherein the polynucleotide is DNA.

31.

A method for producing lipidbased cochleates comprising the steps of : a) providing an aqueous suspension containing a detergentlipid mixture; b) mixing the detergentlipid suspension with polymer A; c) adding the detergentlipid/polymer A suspension into a solution comprising polymer B, wherein polymer A and polymer B are immiscible, thereby creating a twophase polymer system; d) adding a solution of a cationic moiety to the twophase polymer system; and e) washing the twophase polymer system to remove the polymer.

32.	A method for producing lipidbased cochleates according to claim 31 wherein the detergent is octyl glucoside.

33.	A method for producing lipidbased cochleates according to claim 31 wherein the cochleate comprises a biologically active molecule.

34.	A method according to claim 33 wherein the biologically active molecule bear a charge.

35.	A method according to claim 33 wherein the biologically active molecule is positively charged.

36.	A method according to claim 33 wherein the biologically active molecule is negatively charged.

37.	A method according to claim 36 wherein the negatively charged molecule is a polynucleotide.

38.	A method according to claim 37 wherein the polynucleotide is DNA.

39.	A method according to claim 31 wherein the biologically active molecule is added in step a.

40.	A method according to claim 21 or claim 33 in which the biologically relevant molecule is selected from the group consisting of drugs, polynucleotides, polypeptides and antigens.

41.

A method of claim 40 wherein the biologically relevant molecule is a drug selected from the group consisting of antiviral agents, anesthetics, antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, anticancer agents, immunosuppressants, steroidal antiinflammatory agents, non steroidal antiinflammatory agents, tranquilisers and vasodilators.

42.

A method of claim 41 in which the drug is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Amphotericin B, acyclovir, adriamycin, cabamazepine, melphalan, nifedipine, indomethacin, naproxen, estrogens, testosterones, steroids, phenytoin, ergotamines, cannabinoids rapamycin, propanidid, propofol, alphadione, echinomycin, miconazole nitrate, teniposide, taxol and taxotere.

43.

A method according to any preceding claim in which the washing step involved centrifuging the twophase polymer system to separate the cochleate precipitate, removing the supernatant containing the polymer, resuspending the precipitate in a washing buffer, centrifuging the washed precipitate, and optionally repeating the resuspension and centrifugation steps one or more times.

44.	A method according to claim 43 in which the washing buffer contains dissolved cationic moiety.

45.	A method according to claim 44 in which the cationic moiety comprises dior highervalent ions.

46.	A method according to claim 45 in which the dior highervalent ions are metal ions.

47.	A method according to claim 46 in which the metal ions are selected from calcium and zinc.

48.	A method according to any of claims 43 to 47 in which the cationic moiety is present in the washing buffer at a concentration of at least lmM.

49.	Cochleates containing a biologically relevant molecule prepared according to claims 1 to 48.

50.	Cochleates containing a biologically relevant molecule according to claim 49 having a mean particle size less than 1 micron.

51.	Cochleates according to claim 49 wherein the biologically relevant molecules are selected from the group consisting of drugs, polynucleotides, polypeptides and antigens.

52.

Cochleates according to claim 51 wherein the biologically relevant molecule is a drug selected from the group consisting of antiviral agents, anesthetics, antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, anticancer agents, immunosuppressants, steroidal antiinflammatory agents, nonsteriodal antiinflammatory agents, tranquilisers and vasodilators.

53.

Cochleates according to claim 52 wherein the drug is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Amphotericin B, acyclovir, adriamycin, cabamazepine, melphalan, nifedipine, indomethacin, naproxen, estrogens, testosterones, steroids, phenytoin, ergotamines, cannabinoids rapamycin, propanidid, propofol, alphadione, echinomycin, miconazole nitrate, teniposide, taxol and taxotere.

54.	Cochleates according to any of claims 49 to 53, or the product of a method of any of claims I to 48, for use in a method of delivering a biologically relevant molecule to a host.

55.	Use of cochleates according to any of claims 49 to 54, or of the product of a method according to claims 1 to 48, in the manufacture of a composition for use in the method of treatment of the human or animal body or to deliver a biologically relevant molecule to a host.

56.	A method of treatment comprising administering to a human or animal cochleates according to any of claims 49 to 54, or the product of any of claims 1 to 48.

57.	Use according to claim 55 or method according to claim 56 in which the administration is by a mucosal or a systemic route.

58.	Use or method of claim 57 wherein the administration is a mucosal route selected from oral, intranasal, intraocular, intraanal, intravaginal, parenteral or intrapulmonary.

59.	Use or method according to claim 57 in which the route is oral.

60.	Use or method according to claim 58 in which the administration is proceeded by aerosol.

61.	Use or method according to claim 57 wherein the administration is systemic and is by a route selected from intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, transdermal or intradermal.

62.	A composition comprising cochleates according to any of claims 49 to 54 of the product of the process according to any of claims 1 to 48, and a carrier.

63.	A pharmaceutical composition comprising cochleates according to any of claims 49 to 54 or the product of a process according to any of claims 1 to 48, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.