It was a sobering reminder of the need for drug developers to work not only with medical specialists to understand the biological workings of the body, but also with patients themselves to appreciate their practical and psychological needs.

“Drug companies used to be focused on the molecule. Now they are looking at other ways to retain value by focusing on the patient experience,” says Arna Ionescu. She recently moved from Ideo, a design-led consultancy, to Proteus Biomedical, a business that makes “intelligent pills” containing soluble microchips linked to detectors that remind patients if they have not swallowed their medication. read more >>

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When the pills are swallowed the “edible” microchips react with the acid in the stomach sending a message to a sticking plaster containing a sensor strapped to the shoulder. If the patient has forgotten a dose, the sensor delivers a text message to the patient’s phone reminding them to take their pills.

In addition, the sticking-plaster sensor monitors the patient’s bodily functions such as heart rate and can recommend adjustments to the dose accordingly, which can also be delivered to the patient via text message. The sensor can also send messages via the internet to carers and, if wanted, other family members, updating them on the patient’s condition. read more >>

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(Business Wire) — Proteus Biomedical Inc., a pioneer in intelligent medicine, announced today that it has received CE Mark approval to market its ingestible sensor and personal physiologic monitor system in the European Union. The CE Mark certifies that the Proteus system has met European Union consumer and health requirements. Proteus also received ISO 13485:2003 certification for the design, development and manufacture of its product system.

Proteus’s ingestible sensor and personal monitor system, called the RaisinTM System, is indicated under the CE Mark to timestamp, via ingestion, any discrete event (such as the ingestion of a specific pharmaceutical) and to record this event along with physiologic information such as heart rate, activity, body angle and patient-logged information. The unique ingestion event and personalized physiologic information are then communicated via Bluetooth to any computerized device, such as a mobile phone for emerging mHealth applications.

The Raisin System is being developed as part of Proteus’s integrated intelligent medicine system to link sensor-based formulations of pharmaceutical products to individualized physiologic response and outcomes-based treatment systems. Proteus and its partners are currently developing these integrated product systems in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorders, organ transplantation and infectious disease.

As part of its development and commercialization of the Raisin System, Proteus also announced today the creation of a new product development group focused on user experience. Arna Ionescu, formerly Connected Health domain lead at the global design firm IDEO, has joined Proteus as Director, Product Development, User Experience. She will lead a team focused on applying the principles of human-centered design to create intelligent medicine products that empower consumers and transform the delivery and management of health care. Ms. Ionescu also teaches product and interaction design at Stanford University and California College of Art.

“CE Mark approval represents a significant achievement for Proteus, and a major milestone for the advancement of intelligent medicine,” said Andrew Thompson, president and chief executive officer of Proteus. “As we commercialize our products and empower patients and their families we will begin to realize the potential of a more connected, pervasive and personalized standard of care that promotes better access, higher value for money and more sustainable innovation models. The timing is very good – many government health budgets are under financial pressure and our approach is one that promises better results with less spending and higher consumer satisfaction.”

About Proteus Biomedical
Proteus Biomedical is pioneering intelligent medicine, an emerging field of advanced therapeutics that integrates in-body computer, sensor and communications technologies into existing pharmaceutical and medical device products. Proteus’s proprietary computing and sensing technologies enable proven therapies to be personalized, offering broad potential benefits across a range of care settings and therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular, psychiatric, metabolic and neurologic disorders.

More information about Proteus Biomedical can be found at www.proteusbiomed.com

The Royal Berkshire and Imperial College healthcare trusts are recruiting 40 patients for a clinical trial. The subjects will be given versions of their standard beta-blockers and anti-diuretic prescription pills modified to contain edible microchips.

The chips in the pills, developed by Proteus Biomedical, a California-based company, send signals to a patch attached to the patient’s shoulder. Through a connection to the phone network, the patch sends the patient a text message if he or she has forgotten to take a dose of medicine. read more >>

There’s a new generation of wireless medical sensors mounted on an adhesive strip. The so-called smart Band-Aid can call a doctor and transmit all kinds of physiological information when it detects a problem.

All this may eventually save lots of money, and lives. But the technology is so new that federal regulators are still figuring out exactly what kind of rules are necessary to keep the public safe.

Even though the technology is cutting edge, it builds on more than a decade of refining the practice of “remote monitoring.” That’s when health care providers give patients simple-to-use home diagnostic equipment that connects to a network. read more >>

In this video, Andrew Thompson, Proteus Biomedical, envisions use of mobile electronics and bio-compatible electronics to resolve global health issues. He explains the possibilities, and the affect this focus can have on the cost structure of healthcare.

These advances, ranging from edible sensors to cordless heart monitors to robotic arms that mirror a doctor’s movements, presage sharp falls in cost just as consumers clamor for more affordable health care. read more >>