Swallow the asterisk
The effectiveness of a capsule with several doses of the drug was tested on humans for the first time
Evgenia Efimova, Vesti
Due to everyday worries, it is sometimes difficult for patients to remember the time of taking and the dose of medication. The task becomes more complicated if a person needs to take several medications at once during the day. But scientists are working to solve this pressing problem of humanity in the future.
Recently, scientists have tested for the first time in humans an experimental "star" system that packs a weekly dose of medication into one capsule. The clinical study showed promising results.
The development is the brainchild of specialists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brigham Women's Hospital. For the first time, scientists told about this system in 2016. Today, the specialists of the commercial company Lyndra Therapeutics are engaged in the improvement and verification of the capsule.
Let's briefly explain the essence of the development. Researchers have created a capsule that delivers medication to the body in a dosage that lasts for a whole week. The advantage of the system is that the medicine itself is released from the capsule gradually over seven days.
The creation of such a structure begins with a star-shaped assembly having six rigid polymer "arms", each of which is "charged" with a drug. All branches are connected together by a biodegradable elastic core, which allows the "arms" to fold inwards (like the ribs of an umbrella). The gradual release of the drug is provided by the specific structure of the capsule.
When all the "hands" are folded, the "filling" can be placed inside a standard gelatin capsule and swallowed.
Once in the stomach, the gelatin dissolves, releasing the star and allowing its "hands" to spread. In this configuration, it is too large to get out of the stomach, but it is still "barely noticeable" for the body. That is, it will not be able to block the passage from the stomach.
During the prescribed period (for example, a week), the hands of the "star" release a medication that is absorbed by the gastric mucosa.
By the end of the "performance", the core of the star dissolves to such an extent that its branches break off and enter the digestive tract. All components are small enough to pass harmlessly through it and leave the body along with feces.
Previously, the system was tested on pigs, successfully delivering the malaria drug ivermectin into the animal's body in one study and simultaneously three antiretroviral drugs in another.
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