Drugs from a wristwatch on the horizon
administer doses automatically has been developed by Chrono
Therapeutics and researchers at the University of Basel in
Switzerland.
The device is aimed at delivering drugs for diseases in which the timing of dosing can affect the outcome of treatment, such as hypertension, heart disease, arthritis and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Research has started to determine the influence of a patient's circadian rhythms on drug efficiency, and suggests that certain disease symptoms follow a daily pattern, with peak symptoms at certain times of the day. It is now acknowledged that hormones, neurotransmitters and other compounds in the body are released in different amounts at different times of the day.
This research also demonstrates that for certain diseases, drug effects can be improved when administered in a defined (and most often varying) dosage at predefined times. By precisely timing the administration of drugs so that they reach peak levels when symptoms are likely to be at their worst, drug administration efficacy is greatly improved.
The ChronoDose system can be pre-programmed to administer drug doses into the body automatically, at different times of the day, and with varying dose sizes. It automatically turns on and off to release drugs at preset times in preset amounts while asleep, or awake.
The founder and president of Chrono Therapeutics, Guy DiPierro, claimed that the new device will help ease patient suffering by managing peak disease symptoms with far greater efficacy and fewer side effects than any other system available today.
Chrono Therapeutics has exclusive intellectual property rights to the ChronoDose system, and all related patents, pursuant to agreements between Chrono Therapeutics and its University Partners.
