In a significant stride towards affordable healthcare, Rice University researchers, spearheading a collaborative team, have received a substantial funding boost to advance the development of a bioelectrical implant designed to tackle the dual challenges of obesity and Type 2 diabetes (T2D). According to the Rice University news release, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has awarded up to $34.9 million to support the project dubbed "Rx On-site Generation Using Electronics" (ROGUE).
The ROGUE device, described as a "living pharmacy," is an implant that contains engineered cells capable of manufacturing T2D, and obesity therapy drugs on-demand within the patient's body. The funding from ARPA-H aims to help streamline the production process of these biologic drugs, traditionally derived from living cells. The ROGUE implant leverages closed-loop bioelectronics to monitor, adjust drug production, dosing, and communicate directly with patients. As per the Houston Chronicle report, the implant will be rechargeable through a wearable device potentially on a weekly basis, which researchers hope will simplify medication administration logistics.
Omid Veiseh, professor of bioengineering at Rice University and a core member of the research team, is quoted in the Houston Chronicle as saying, "Rather than producing the drug from cells in a steel rye reactor, then isolating it (and) putting it in a vial so that the patient injects it, what if we could just bring that manufacturing into the patient?" This innovative approach is expected to not only enhance patient convenience but also curtail the hefty costs of current treatments that Veiseh notes can range between $500 and $1,500 per month.
The team behind ROGUE includes a host of prestigious institutions deploying their collective expertise, from Rice and Carnegie Mellon to Northwestern and Boston University, among others. This consortium, as detailed by the university's statement, is fine-tuning an implant technology poised to reshape biologics delivery. The project has also received backing from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for related "living pharmacy" endeavors.
Paving the way for clinical trials and eventual commercialization, the Rice Biotech Launch Pad, under the stewardship of in-house entrepreneur Paul Wotton, will play an instrumental role in transitioning the lab findings to market-ready solutions. "With the Biotech Launch Pad, our goal is venture creation in parallel to the groundbreaking research at Rice and its collaborating institutions," Wotton affirmed in the release. The team envisions initiating trial preparations in the fifth year of the six-year project, marking a significant step towards turning this innovative treatment concept into an accessible reality for patients grappling with the lasting burdens of chronic conditions such as obesity and T2D, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
