Wireless Drug Chip

The world’s first programmable drug-delivery chip passes the test, accurately and safely delivering an osteoporosis drug.

Written byJef Akst

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The drug delivery device (on right) next to an everyday computer memory stick.COURTESY OF MICROCHIPS, INC., MASSACHUSETTS

Programmable, wireless microchips used to deliver drugs have reached a critical milestone—successfully administering daily doses of the osteoporosis drug teriparatide, normally given by injection, to seven women aged 65 to 70.

Developed by MIT professors Robert Langer and Michael Cima and scientists at Massachusetts-based biotech MicroCHIPS Inc., this is the first time such chips have proven their worth, Langer said in a press release. Given their wide applicability, the chips may just change how doctors monitor their patients’ medical care.

“You could literally have a pharmacy on a chip,” Langer said in a press release. “You can do remote control delivery, you can do pulsatile drug delivery, and you can deliver multiple drugs.”

The results were reported last week in Science Translational Medicine.

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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