|
 Rani said it would run feasibility studies over the next 18-24
months to evaluate how selected Novartis biologic medicines can be
delivered into the bloodstream using its unique device.
The Rani capsule, which is swallowed like a conventional pill,
contains tiny needles made of sugar that are pushed into the wall of
the intestine to deliver the drug.
The U.S. company, whose backers include Google's venture capital
unit, believes its early-stage technology could be used with insulin
and a range of other injected medicines, including treatments for
rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis.
Delivering large-molecule biologic drugs by mouth has long been a
dream for the pharmaceutical industry, since it would increase
convenience dramatically. But so far scientists have struggled to
make it work, since the medicines are normally destroyed in the
stomach.
For Novartis, the tie-up is a long-term bet on a technology that
might just transform medicine delivery several years down the road.
The Swiss company is also participating in a fresh fundraising round
for Rani and has the right to enter into a more extensive
collaboration, or license Rani's technology for specific uses, if
early tests prove promising.
Novartis Chief Executive Joe Jimenez told Reuters last November that
health tech was a growing focus for his group.
It is already involved in another high-tech pill technology through
an agreement with Proteus Digital Health to develop tablets
containing embedded microchips that can tell if patients have taken
their medication.
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Last year, Novartis signed a deal with Google to develop contact
lenses to help diabetics track blood glucose levels or restore the
eye's ability to focus.
The drugmaker's interest in technology comes at a time when tech
companies are increasingly pushing from the other direction in an
effort to find new ways for patients to monitor their own health and
track chronic conditions using smart devices.
Businesses such as Apple, Samsung and Google are all seeking
health-related applications for their wearable products.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
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