Chip planted inside body may help migraines

The American Association for the Advancement of Science recently held a meeting where they were told that a chip that can be implanted inside the body and release medication has been tested successfully. The device was implanted in women and delivered medication for osteoporosis effectively for four months. The subjects involved with the study said they felt no discomfort from the implant and that it helped their condition significantly.

Researchers believe that implanted devices for delivering medication allow the right amount of the drug to be delivered on time, every time. It is also possible that the device can be remotely controlled so doctors can adjust the amount of drug being administered easily.

Speaking at the conference was the head of MicroCHIPS, a United States-based company that has developed the drug. He commented, “We see this as a new potential future for the administration of drugs to patients. It will free them from the trouble of having to remember to take pills and it will also avoid the need for injections.”

One of the many problems that doctors face is that patients are unreliable at taking their medication. It is often the case that doctors are treating people of a longer time because the patient has failed to take the drugs in the correct way. A professor from MIT, Robert Langer recently commented about the development, “I see a lot of developments in the medical industry but this must rank as one of the most significant I’ve seen in a very long time.”

The device has been in development for over 15 years and it is predicted that there will be many other uses for the implantable device, it is thought that migraine may be one condition that may be greatly helped by this type of delivery. It is also expected that you will be able to store drugs for patients at risk of a heart attack and have them delivered immediately if one occurs.

The team who have created the device recently published an article in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The article described how the device successfully released medication over 20 days perfectly. Not only does this make it more convenient to patients but there was no need for the regular injections either.

The research showed that the medication given to the patients was just as effective as if it had been administered by injection. The researchers have said that the device would cost the same amount as the current medication that is delivered in injection form.