Skip to main content

MIT’s new pill sticks to your gastrointestinal tract for a slow, long-term drug release

For people who don’t like taking medication in pill form, getting the right medical treatment can be difficult. That’s why researchers at MIT have developed a new type of pill that slowly releases long-term doses of medication from within the gastrointestinal tract. The pill would also help patients who need to take ingestible drugs multiple times throughout the day by limiting dosage to a single extended-release tablet.

The MIT research team used a mucoadhesive polymer called Carbopol to design the pill, since the material naturally adheres to mucosal surfaces like the lining of the stomach and intestines. Once a patient takes the medication, one side of the pill sticks to the wall of the gastrointestinal tract to keep it in place. Meanwhile, the other side of the pill relies on a special omniphobic coating that repels all food and liquids so they can slide by without knocking the pill out of place. This protective coating is made of fluorinated and lubricated cellulose acetate, with a surface texture inspired by the lotus leaf to repel any particle that might pass.

Recommended Videos

The pill’s “janus” design, named after the two-faced mythical god, is what makes the pill so groundbreaking. Past trials of ingestible extended-release drugs resulted in blockages in the gastrointestinal tract or disappearing pills that were knocked away by passing food and liquids. In today’s medical technology landscape, extended-release drug solutions are increasingly common. But these long-term drugs are usually administered through implantable devices (which means minor surgery for the patient) or experimental patches that adhere to the skin.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

So far, MIT’s janus pill is still in the testing phase to measure how long tablets can stay attached to the lining of organs along the GI tract, and to determine the rate of the extended drug release. Once it is ready for the general public, scientists believe that the pill could be used for everything from antibiotics to malaria and tuberculosis drugs.

Chloe Olewitz
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chloe is a writer from New York with a passion for technology, travel, and playing devil's advocate. You can find out more…
Global EV sales expected to rise 30% in 2025, S&P Global says
ev sales up 30 percent 2025 byd sealion 7 1stbanner l

While trade wars, tariffs, and wavering subsidies are very much in the cards for the auto industry in 2025, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are still expected to rise substantially next year, according to S&P Global Mobility.

"2025 is shaping up to be ultra-challenging for the auto industry, as key regional demand factors limit demand potential and the new U.S. administration adds fresh uncertainty from day one," says Colin Couchman, executive director of global light vehicle forecasting for S&P Global Mobility.

Read more
Faraday Future could unveil lowest-priced EV yet at CES 2025
Faraday Future FF 91

Given existing tariffs and what’s in store from the Trump administration, you’d be forgiven for thinking the global race toward lower electric vehicle (EV) prices will not reach U.S. shores in 2025.

After all, Chinese manufacturers, who sell the least expensive EVs globally, have shelved plans to enter the U.S. market after 100% tariffs were imposed on China-made EVs in September.

Read more
What to expect at CES 2025: drone-launching vans, mondo TVs, AI everywhere
CES 2018 Show Floor

With 2024 behind us, all eyes in tech turn to Las Vegas, where tech monoliths and scrappy startups alike are suiting up to give us a glimpse of the future. What tech trends will set the world afire in 2025? While we won’t know all the details until we hit the carpets of the Las Vegas Convention Center, our team of reporters and editors have had an ear to the ground for months. And we have a pretty good idea what’s headed your way.

Here’s a sneak peek at all the gizmos, vehicles, technologies, and spectacles we expect to light up Las Vegas next week.
Computing

Read more