Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Novo Nordisk A/s

Minsoo Khang

Carlo Giovanni Traverso

Alex G Abramson

Ester Caffarel Salvador

Taylor Bensel

Robert Samuel Langer

Niclas Roxhed

Morten Revsgaard Frederiksen

Brian Jensen

Jorrit Jeroen Water

Mikkel Oliver Jespersen

Mette Poulsen

Peter Herskind

Bo Uldall Kristiansen

Robert S Langer, Jr

David Dellal

Self-actuating articles including, for example, self-actuating needles and/or self-actuating biopsy punches, are generally provided. Advantageously, the self-actuating articles described herein may be useful as a general platform for delivery of a wide variety of pharmaceutical drugs that are typically delivered via injection directly into tissue due to degradation in the GI tract. The self-actuating articles described herein may also be used to deliver sensors and/or take biopsies without the need for an endoscopy. In some embodiments, the article comprises a spring (e.g., a coil spring, a beam, a material having particular mechanical recovery characteristics). Those of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the term spring is not intended to be limited to coil springs, but generally encompass any reversibly compressive material and/or component which, after releasing an applied compressive force on the material/component, the material/component substantially returns to an uncompressed length of the material/component (e.g., the within 95% of the length of the material/component prior to compression).

Self-actuating articles

Components with relatively high loading of active pharmaceutical ingredients (e.g., drugs), are generally provided. In some embodiments, the component (e.g., a tissue interfacing component) comprises a solid therapeutic agent (e.g., a solid API) and a supporting material (e.g., a binder such as a polymer) such that the solid therapeutic agent is present in the component in an amount of greater than or equal to 10 wt % versus the total weight of the tissue interfacing component. Such tissue-interfacing components may be useful for delivery of API doses e.g., to a subject. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the reduction of volume required to deliver the required API dose as compared to a liquid formulation permits the creation of solid needle delivery systems for a wide variety of drugs in a variety of places/tissues (e.g., tongue, GI mucosal tissue, skin) and/or reduces and/or eliminates the application of an external force in order to inject a drug solution through the small opening in the needle. In some cases, a physiologically relevant dose may be present in a single tissue interfacing component (e.g., having a relatively high API loading).

Components with high API loading

Self-righting articles, such as self-righting capsules for administration to a subject, are generally provided. In some embodiments, the self-righting article may be configured such that the article may orient itself relative to a surface (e.g., a surface of a tissue of a subject). The self-righting articles described herein may comprise one or more tissue engaging surfaces configured to engage (e.g., interface with, inject into, anchor) with a surface (e.g., a surface of a tissue of a subject). In some embodiments, the self-righting article may have a particular shape and/or distribution of density (or mass) which, for example, enables the self-righting behavior of the article. In some embodiments, the self-righting article may comprise a tissue interfacing component and/or a pharmaceutical agent (e.g., for delivery of the active pharmaceutical agent to a location internal of the subject). In some cases, upon contact of the tissue with the tissue engaging surface of the article, the self-righting article may be configured to release one or more tissue interfacing components. In some cases, the tissue interfacing component is associated with a self-actuating component. For example, the self-righting article may comprise a self-actuating component configured, upon exposure to a fluid, to release the tissue interfacing component from the self-righting article. In some cases, the tissue interfacing component may comprise and/or be associated with the pharmaceutical agent (e.g., for delivery to a location internal to a subject).

Self-righting systems and related components and methods

Self-righting systems, methods, and related components

Components with relatively high loading of active pharmaceutical ingredients are generally provided. In some embodiments, the component (e.g., a tissue interfacing component) comprises a solid therapeutic agent and a supporting material such that the solid therapeutic agent is present in the component in an amount of greater than or equal to 10 wt % versus the total weight of the tissue interfacing component. Such tissue-interfacing components may be useful for delivery of API doses e.g., to a subject. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the reduction of volume required to deliver the required API dose as compared to a liquid formulation permits the creation of solid needle delivery systems for a wide variety of drugs in a variety of places/tissues (e.g., tongue, GI mucosal tissue, skin) and/or reduces and/or eliminates the application of an external force in order to inject a drug solution through the small opening in the needle. In some cases, a physiologically relevant dose may be present in a single tissue interfacing component.

Tissue anchoring articles

Self-righting articles

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Boston, MA, United States of America

Minsoo Khang