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June 30, 2010

Proteus Aims to Boost IQ of Prescription Drugs


How can 'dumb' prescription pills be transformed into clever communicators? Proteus (News - Alert) Biomedical Inc. has an innovative approach: they've developed an ingestible microchip that can be embedded into medications for only a few cents per pill. When activated by stomach fluids, the sensor chips send signals to a personal wireless monitor worn in an adhesive patch like a Band-Aid. The monitor can then send the data, along with other physiological information, to a smart phone or other computerized device. The system hasn't hit the market yet, but Proteus recently announced FDA 510(k) clearance of the adhesive monitor. The ingestible sensors are currently in clinical trials. Proteus has dubbed the system the 'Raisin,' following in the footsteps of other fruit-themed technology pioneers (think Apple (News - Alert) (News - Alert) and Blackberry).


The Raisin monitor does quite a lot for something so unobtrusive: it measures heart rate, physical activity, body position and patient-logged events, and then reports to other devices via Bluetooth. The microchips sensors, made from safely ingestible food ingredients, and can identify the type of medication taken, dosage, and in the future, data such as GI transit time and PH levels. The technology sounds impressive. But what are the practical applications? According to David O'Reilly, SVP of Corporate Development at Proteus, the potential is enormous.

It's no secret that patients don't always take the medications their doctors prescribe: last year, the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI) estimated that non-adherence cost $290 billion in avoidable medical spending every year in the U.S. alone. And costs can be measured in lives, too, not just dollars: in a study of diabetes and heart disease patients cited by NEHI, mortality rates of non-adherent patients were nearly twice as high as those who took their medications.

'We are not robots,' O'Reilly says, explaining why he doesn't think it is human nature to comply with rigid medication schedules without a good deal of support. The Raisin system is designed to help with management of various chronic diseases, heart failure, infectious disease and psychiatric disorders.

Investor Novartis is partnering with Proteus to commercialize the technology, starting with the field of organ transplantation. Novartis may also pursue cardiovascular and oncology product applications.

Patient adherence is only part of the picture. O'Reilly points out that the technology has the potential to personalize treatment decisions and empower patients and their caregivers, especially as the sensors and monitors add more reporting capabilities. With access to information about medication ingestion and concurrent physiological data, physicians might make better-informed choices about medication adjustments. The technology could also facilitate patient benchmarking and sharing of information via online communities. Family caregivers, who currently have few tools at their disposal, would gain the ability to stay informed and render assistance when necessary. Furthermore, with the huge growth of mobile phone usage globally, O'Reilly sees the system as a cost-effective way to help medically underserved populations worldwide.
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