HIV/AIDS cure and prevention continues to be a tricky undertaking for medical experts worldwide. That is why medical and pharmaceutical companies continue to innovate their products, such as implantable devices, to address the concern.
Based on the current data of UNAIDS, 36.7 million people are estimated to be living with HIV globally. The lack of a better and sustainable protection have been linked to the continuous increase of HIV transmission worldwide. Thus, Boston-based Intarcia Therapeutics Inc. dedicated their resources in developing a much reliable method and device to increase HIV protection and prevention.
The device called "Medici Drug Delivery System" is being perfected by the said company in order to create a more effective approach towards HIV/ AIDS prevention. With the help of the device, individuals are helped to stick to a routine without having to worry about acquisition, storage, or even remembering to take medicine daily, according to Huffington Post.
The Medici Drug Delivery System consists mainly of a drug pump about the size of a matchstick. The said device would then be implanted just below the skin, while its osmotic pump within functions to deliver the drug to the body by means of extracellular fluid, according to Med Gadget. Thus, making it a more sophisticated and easier approach towards HIV prevention.
"Delivering drugs via our new technology has the potential to open up a new way of delivering novel medicines just once-yearly. One of the biggest problems in chronic diseases is millions of patients lack effective control of their condition due to sub-optimal effectiveness of their medication," Med Gadget quoted Intarcia Therapeutics CEO Kurt Graves as saying.
With the said technology being introduced in the field of HIV/ AIDS cure and prevention, various organizations including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation considered the device as a potential breakthrough. A testament to their interest is the $140 million investment to boost the development of the small implantable drug pump, as mentioned in a separate report.
Watch here below an overview of controlled drug release technology: