In 2017, something groundbreaking happened in the world of medicine. The US Food and Drug Administration approved a “digital” pill named ‘Abilify MyCite’. It contained aripiprazole, a medication for schizophrenia and mania and had a tiny sensor inside it. This sensor could track when the medicine was taken.
How It Works:
After you swallowed the pill, this sensor would send information to a patch you wore on your skin. The patch would then send this data to a mobile app on your phone. This made it easy for patients to keep track of their medicine. They could also share this information with their doctors and family members.
The pill was developed by American firm Proteus Digital Health and Japanese company Otsuka Pharmaceutical. Notably, Proteus, based in California, made both sensor and patch. They became successful quickly and even got a lot of funding. But the medicine was more expensive than the regular version, and not everyone liked the idea of a sensor in their pills. Sadly, Proteus filed for bankruptcy in 2020.
Digital Pills: A Bright Future
Even though Proteus faced problems, the idea of digital pills is still very promising. Investors in healthcare believe in this idea. Digital pills could make treatments better, help people take their medicine correctly, and reduce hospital stays. A recent study predicts that the digital pills market will grow a lot in the coming years, projecting a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +8 per cent for the global digital pills market from 2023 to 2029. In July 2022, a study conducted using various internet databases showed that, by the end of June 2021, close to 250 products in this domain were at different stages of development.
Many inventors are working on digital pills. They are creating new patents for pills with sensors. These pills can be used for various health issues, like mental health, heart problems, diabetes, and more. There is a lot of research happening in this field. Even Indian researchers are active in this area and are making important contributions.
Countries like the US, Europe, China, Canada, and Australia are the main players in this field. India is also becoming important because of its strong pharmaceutical industry and affordable technology resources. India can play a big role in bringing together medicine and technology.
The future of digital pills is exciting, but it comes with its own set of challenges. We need to make these smart pills affordable and ensure people’s privacy is respected. As technology continues to advance, digital pills could change the way we take our medicine and improve our health.
