New Pill Offers Weekly Dose for Schizophrenia Treatment
Breakthrough Device Improves Medication Adherence with Delayed Release
A novel, once-weekly oral capsule is showing promise in managing schizophrenia, potentially overcoming challenges with consistent medication use. The innovative drug delivery system could significantly improve outcomes for patients who prefer pills over injections.
Star-Shaped Delivery System
The device, developed by researchers at MIT and Lyndra Therapeutics, is a six-armed, star-shaped structure that folds into a capsule similar in size to a multivitamin. Once ingested, it expands in the stomach and slowly releases its drug payload over several weeks. Segments of the device detach after approximately one week, allowing it to pass through the digestive system.
“We’ve converted something that has to be taken once a day to once a week, orally, using a technology that can be adapted for a variety of medications.”
—Giovanni Traverso, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 80% of individuals with schizophrenia experience periods of non-adherence to medication, leading to relapse and hospitalization. This new technology aims to address this critical issue.
Clinical Trial Results Demonstrate Efficacy
Phase III clinical trial results, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, revealed that the weekly capsule maintained consistent levels of the antipsychotic drug risperidone in patients with schizophrenia. Symptom control was comparable to that achieved with daily dosing, and drug level fluctuations were reduced.
The study involved 83 patients, with 45 completing the trial. Participants received one capsule of risperidone weekly, resulting in a peak in blood drug levels on the day of administration, followed by a gradual decline over the subsequent week—all within the optimal therapeutic range.
“This new data…shows that the capsule can achieve the drug levels that were predicted and also control symptoms in a sizeable cohort of patients with schizophrenia.”
—Giovanni Traverso, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT
Future Applications and Research
Traverso and his team are planning larger Phase III trials for risperidone and are also exploring the use of this capsule technology for delivering other medications, including contraceptives, in Phase I trials. The research was funded by MIT spinout Lyndra Therapeutics.
This innovative approach to oral drug delivery represents a significant step forward in improving patient adherence and treatment outcomes for a range of conditions beyond schizophrenia.
