MIT creates long-term drug delivery capsule
28 Nov 2016
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have created a slow-release drug delivery capsule that remains in the stomach for up to two weeks, gradually releasing its payload.
It is thought the new capsule could be used to treat and possibly eliminate diseases such as malaria. The approach could also be used to help treat a number of other illnesses, the researchers added.
Discussing the breakthrough, MIT professor Robert Langer, who last year was awarded the £1m Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, said: “Until now, oral drugs would almost never last for more than a day. This [research] really opens the door to ultra-long-lasting oral systems, which could have an effect on all kinds of diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or mental health disorders.
“There are a lot of exciting things this could someday enable.”
The research has also led to the creation of Lyndra, a new company that is developing the technology.
Lyndra will focus on the diseases in which patients would benefit the most from sustained drug delivery, including neuropsychiatric disorders, HIV, diabetes, and epilepsy, MIT said.
A full account of the study has been published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
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