Imagine that the pill againsthypertension that you swallow sends a signal to your doctor to tell them that you have well taken your treatment. This technological innovation has become possible thanks to the Californian pharmaceutical company Protheus Digital Health. The objective of this system is simple: it will make it possible to avoid oversights and treatment errors deplored by health institutions. Forgetting medication can have serious consequences for patients treated, for example for heart problems or high blood pressure.
The sensor integrated into the pill, once in the stomach, transmits the time of the medication intake to a patch attached to the patient’s skin. This patch is connected by wireless technology to the telephone of the referring physician who then receives in real time, by means of SMS or e-mails, a set of useful data: identity, time of ingestion of the drug, heart rate. . For caregivers, this should facilitate monitoring and better medical care for certain people such as Alzheimer’s patients.
Validated by the American health authorities (the Food and Drug Administration) in 2012, the smart pill is of great interest to pharmaceutical companies. Among these, Novartis, which is supporting the project with a view to supporting treatments against cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
British patients with heart attacks will be the first to be able to test the method. If the results are convincing, it is a safe bet that it arouses the envy of laboratories.