Robo Pills (w/ music) - full length

Summary

Researchers from MIT, Novo Nordisk, and Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed an innovative robotic pill for oral delivery of macromolecule drugs, such as insulin and adalimumab, offering a non-invasive alternative to injections. This pill autonomously adheres to the stomach wall, injecting medication into a protected tissue layer, avoiding degradation by digestive enzymes. Inspired by the leopard tortoise, the pill ensures accurate drug delivery and has shown promising results in pre-clinical studies, potentially revolutionizing treatment for chronic illnesses like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Takeaways

• 💉 Millions of US patients rely on injection-based therapies for chronic illnesses like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
• 📉 The burden of injections often reduces patient compliance and can lead to delayed treatment, worsening health outcomes.
• 🔬 Researchers from MIT, Novo Nordisk, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed an orally dosed pill for macromolecule drug delivery.
• 🚀 This innovative pill mimics the fast-acting uptake profiles of subcutaneous and intramuscular injections, delivering drugs rapidly into the bloodstream.
• 🍽 The pill autonomously localizes to the stomach wall, bypassing the harsh gastrointestinal environment to deliver medication.
• 💊 The pill's design, inspired by the leopard tortoise, ensures self-orientation for precise drug delivery into tissue, not the stomach cavity.
• ⏱ A timed dissolving actuator controls the release of the drug payload at the optimal time during digestion.
• 🔄 The robotic pill can handle multi-milligram doses and deliver a range of therapeutics, from small molecules to monoclonal antibodies.
• 🧬 The pill's liquid injection mechanism is capable of delivering various drugs, including insulin, adalimumab, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and epinephrine.
• 🐄 Pre-clinical studies have been conducted with the pills, demonstrating multiday dosing and translatability to human use in large animal models.
• 🙌 Acknowledgments are given to collaborators and funding sources such as the National Institutes of Health, Novo Nordisk, and the National Science Foundation.

Q & A

What is the main issue with injection-based therapies for chronic illnesses?

The main issue with injection-based therapies is the lifestyle burdens they impose, which generally reduce patient compliance and can lead healthcare professionals to delay the initiation of these lifesaving medications, resulting in worse health outcomes.

What is the significance of the development of an orally dosed pill for delivering macromolecule drugs?

The development of an orally dosed pill is significant because it allows for fast-acting uptake profiles equivalent to subcutaneous and intramuscular injections, potentially increasing patient compliance and improving health outcomes.

How quickly do medications like mealtime insulin and epinephrine enter the bloodstream with the new pill?

Medications like mealtime insulin and epinephrine enter the bloodstream within minutes after administration of the new pill.

What is the duration of the effects of long-acting drugs like adalimumab and GLP-1 receptor agonists after taking the pill?

After dosing just a single pill, long-acting drugs like adalimumab and GLP-1 receptor agonists persist in the bloodstream for multiple days.

How does the robotic pill circumvent the gastrointestinal tract's harsh environment to deliver medication?

The robotic pill autonomously localizes to the stomach wall and inserts a liquid formulation of medication into a protected layer of tissue, avoiding the degradation by enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract.

What is the inspiration behind the shape of the robotic pill?

The shape of the robotic pill is inspired by the leopard tortoise, which enables it to always self-orient so that the delivery mechanism inserts the drug into the tissue rather than the enzyme-filled stomach cavity.

What is the function of the timed dissolving actuator in the robotic pill?

The timed dissolving actuator prevents the pill from delivering the payload too early or too late in the digestion process, ensuring the medication is delivered at the optimal time.

What types of therapeutics can the novel liquid injection mechanism of the robotic pill deliver?

The novel liquid injection mechanism is capable of delivering a range of therapeutics, from small molecules to monoclonal antibodies, including insulin, adalimumab, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and epinephrine.

What advantages does the high oral bioavailability and rapid uptake of the capsule offer?

The high oral bioavailability and rapid uptake achieved via the capsule could make oral dosing of these drugs a reality, providing an alternative to injections and potentially improving patient compliance.

What pre-clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the robotic pills?

Pre-clinical studies have included multiday dosing experiments in large animal models and oral administration in awake animals, supporting the translatability of the system into humans.

Which organizations have collaborated and provided support for the development of the robotic pill?

The development of the robotic pill has been supported by a collaboration between MIT, Novo Nordisk, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, with funding from the National Institutes of Health, Novo Nordisk, and the National Science Foundation.