Digital Medicine: Innovative Drug-Device Combination as New Measure of Medication Adherence. (August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vallejos, Ximena; Wu, Christine
• Is Part Of: Journal of pharmacy technology. Volume 33:Number 4(2017:Jul./Aug.)
• Page Start: 137
• Page End: 139
• Publication Date: 2017-08
• Subjects: medication adherence -- aripiprazole -- technology -- electronic monitoring; Pharmacy -- Periodicals; Pharmaceutical technology -- Periodicals; Chemotherapy -- Periodicals; 615.105
• DOI: 10.1177/8755122517704212
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 8755-1225

Abstract

In September 2015, the Food and Drug Administration accepted the first digital medicine new drug application for a drug-device combination of Otsuka's Abilify® (aripiprazole) and an ingestible sensor embedded in the tablet that digitally records ingestion. When this digital medicine is taken, it sends a signal to a patch worn by the patient. The information is recorded, time-stamped, and relayed to any Bluetooth-enabled device and, with patients' consent, to their physicians and/or their caregivers. An encapsulation model in which a tablet is co-encapsulated with the ingestible sensor has been successfully used in the setting of renal transplant, diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia.