Microneedle Capsule Delivers the Drugs From Inside

Oct-02-14 A new capsule-based drug delivery system skips the external injection by having the patient swallow the needle instead.

The pill-sized capsule features an outer coating covered in an array of 0.2 inch-long microneedles and an internal reservoir that holds the drug. The needles are coated with a material that will dissolve in stomach acid, making swallowing the capsule more comfortable, and the capsule itself has been coated in an acrylic protects the capsule and its payload of drugs as it moves through the stomach and into the intestinal tract. Once in the GI tract—which has no pain receptors—the capsule would release the medication through the now-exposed microneedles.

More than simply reducing the need for injections, the microneedle capsule could provide a much more efficient means of drug delivery, particularly the drugs used to treat diseases like cancer and autoimmune disorders like arthritis.

More Info about this Invention:

[POPSCI.COM]
[NEWSOFFICE.MIT.EDU]

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