Look out, your medicine is watching you!
Sarahli
Posts: 4,265
Look out, your medicine is watching you
By Ben Hirschler
NEW YORK | Mon Nov 8, 2010 5:29pm EST
(Reuters) - Novartis AG plans to seek regulatory approval within 18 months for a pioneering tablet containing an embedded microchip, bringing the concept of "smart-pill" technology a step closer.
The initial program will use one of the Swiss firm's established drugs taken by transplant patients to avoid organ rejection. But Trevor Mundel, global head of development, believes the concept can be applied to many other pills.
"We are taking forward this transplant drug with a chip and we hope within the next 18 months to have something that we will be able to submit to the regulators, at least in Europe," Mundel told the Reuters Health Summit in New York.
"I see the promise as going much beyond that," he added.
Novartis agreed in January to spend $24 million to secure access to chip-in-a-pill technology developed by privately owned Proteus Biomedical of Redwood City, California, putting it ahead of rivals.
The biotech start-up's ingestible chips are activated by stomach acid and send information to a small patch worn on the patient's skin, which can transmit data to a smartphone or send it over the Internet to a doctor.
Mundel said the initial project was focused on ensuring that patients took drugs at the right time and got the dose they needed -- a key issue for people after kidney and other transplant operations, when treatment frequently needs adjustment.
Longer-term, he hopes to expand the "smart pill" concept to other types of medicine and use the wealth of biometric information the Proteus chip can collect, from heart rate and temperature to body movement, to check that drugs are working properly.
Because the tiny chips are added to existing drugs, Novartis does not expect to have to conduct full-scale clinical trials to prove the new products work. Instead, it aims to do so-called bioequivalence tests to show they are the same as the original.
A bigger issue may be what checks should be put in place to protect patients' personal medical data as it is transmitted from inside their bodies by wireless and Bluetooth.
"The regulators all like the concept and have been very encouraging. But ... they want to understand how we are going to solve the data privacy issues," Mundel said.
A technology that ensures a patient takes his or her medicine and checks that it is working properly should deliver better outcomes and justify a higher price tag.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler. Editing by Robert MacMillan)
<!-- m -->http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A754720101108<!-- m -->
By Ben Hirschler
NEW YORK | Mon Nov 8, 2010 5:29pm EST
(Reuters) - Novartis AG plans to seek regulatory approval within 18 months for a pioneering tablet containing an embedded microchip, bringing the concept of "smart-pill" technology a step closer.
The initial program will use one of the Swiss firm's established drugs taken by transplant patients to avoid organ rejection. But Trevor Mundel, global head of development, believes the concept can be applied to many other pills.
"We are taking forward this transplant drug with a chip and we hope within the next 18 months to have something that we will be able to submit to the regulators, at least in Europe," Mundel told the Reuters Health Summit in New York.
"I see the promise as going much beyond that," he added.
Novartis agreed in January to spend $24 million to secure access to chip-in-a-pill technology developed by privately owned Proteus Biomedical of Redwood City, California, putting it ahead of rivals.
The biotech start-up's ingestible chips are activated by stomach acid and send information to a small patch worn on the patient's skin, which can transmit data to a smartphone or send it over the Internet to a doctor.
Mundel said the initial project was focused on ensuring that patients took drugs at the right time and got the dose they needed -- a key issue for people after kidney and other transplant operations, when treatment frequently needs adjustment.
Longer-term, he hopes to expand the "smart pill" concept to other types of medicine and use the wealth of biometric information the Proteus chip can collect, from heart rate and temperature to body movement, to check that drugs are working properly.
Because the tiny chips are added to existing drugs, Novartis does not expect to have to conduct full-scale clinical trials to prove the new products work. Instead, it aims to do so-called bioequivalence tests to show they are the same as the original.
A bigger issue may be what checks should be put in place to protect patients' personal medical data as it is transmitted from inside their bodies by wireless and Bluetooth.
"The regulators all like the concept and have been very encouraging. But ... they want to understand how we are going to solve the data privacy issues," Mundel said.
A technology that ensures a patient takes his or her medicine and checks that it is working properly should deliver better outcomes and justify a higher price tag.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler. Editing by Robert MacMillan)
<!-- m -->http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A754720101108<!-- m -->
Comments
Sounds like a lie to me. I´ll go further, sounds like a test as if we would be a car with a gps <!-- s:evil: -->:evil:<!-- s:evil: -->
I HIGHLY doubt, this is intented for the good. Daniel Vasella, one of the big shots at Novartis is also a regular at the Bilderberger meetings, and THOSE guys are certainly NOT up for our good or for ANY good what so ever. This is the typical step-by-step tactic to get the mass to accept a chip for total control. OF COURSE IN THE NAME OF SECURITY AND HEALT ...
I used to work for Novartis here in Basel, Switzerland, at their headquarter - 8 months too long <!-- s
Check this out: in order to gain full control over a human being with f.e. such a microchip, you first drag the problem into the public, make a fuss about it, maybe by claiming, it's threatening peoples' life and health, etc. and slowly down the road people will ask for exact this kind of 'security' that was created in the first place to intall.
See 9/11: They wanted to cut personal freedoms and install more surveillance possibilites .. ok, let's talk 24/7 about terrorists and the people will waive their rights for some illusory security. Not knowing they are being fooled.
David Icke calls it: Problem - Reaction - Solution.
OK, L.O.V.E.
Oh yeah, and the latest trend: the black box for cars ... also, for our safety ...
Out of curiosity, why did you implant your pets with chips (or accepted the implant)? Why would a pet "need to" be implanted with a chip? Humans have had pets for thousands of years and those animals never got implanted with chips...
The chip makes possible the control and well being of the pet.
Sadly, animals are being abused more than we think and the poor ones cannot take care of themselves legally.
We humans, are able to take care of ourselves and don´t need chips <!-- s:evil: -->:evil:<!-- s:evil: -->
These unfortunate animals - oh, I feel so sorry for them - and what happens to them PLUS just your emotion what made you agree implimenting a chip in your pet are exactly used by TPTB to make the acceptance of chipping animals (and humans?) grow.
You did decide EXACTLY how they wanted you to decide.
Besides, think it through:
a) Why chipping YOUR pet, when you know you treat YOUR pet with L.O.V.E? Where is the real justification to have YOUR pet chipped, when it's NOT about YOUR pet?
b) how does a chip really help prevent abuse of animals (in this domestic animal case)? An owner who doesn't respect his pet will treat his pet badly REGARDLESS of it being chipped or not.
This is ALL a lame excuse to get the peoples' emotions by the balls to accept complete chipping. How? By playing out our emotions. Who doesn't cringe when hearing horrible abuse stories (exept TPTB) 98% of the people don't want abuse in any way - not from a human being and not from a government. We are told heartfelt stories and most get weak and say ... well, exactly what made you accept the chip.
Gema, I say this in the most possible respectable way.
Hugs, Miriam
Why tell a book long story when just a few sentences are WAY enough - thanx,Sarahli <!-- s
I take it, you've read David Icke. <!-- s:) -->:)<!-- s:) -->
lol I have read so many things, now it is a fact we just have to look around and it's there for us to see.
So sweet <!-- s:D -->:D<!-- s:D -->
That is why I think that the chip is important for animals.
It raises the question in me if you will also justify microchipping yourself or your children out of the more or less same reasons. Your reasons and justifications help pushing microchipping us ALL. Can you deal with such a responsability?
Sorry, this is by no means a rant but there is sometimes really a hopelessness arising in me when I read reasons - and albeit very human and understandable ones - like that. But such emotional reasoning is played out against you and us.
Just my 2 cents, big hug and really meant from the heart,
Oh, I see the light <!-- s
Also, some of these animals are getting tumors where the chips are implanted.
I know it has nothing to do with the topic here <!-- s:D -->:D<!-- s:D --> but I'm intrigued by the underlined... I am Muslim too and I don't understand...