Manchester-based Pill Connect has secured funding to continue scaling its reusable device.
It will also enable Pill Connect to fulfil current contracts and opportunities in its pipeline, expand its team and deliver its next phase of product enhancements.
The MedTech has created a unique digital device to track whether patients are taking their medicine correctly.
The investment comes from the GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura, and through NPIF II 鈥� Praetura Equity Finance, which is managed by Praetura Ventures as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.聽
Its reusable device attaches to the top of pill bottles and provides real-time dispensing data to pharmaceutical companies.
Using this data, pharmaceutical companies are said to be able to evaluate the efficacy of drugs in clinical trials more accurately.
Pill Connect鈥檚 technology also has the potential to help vulnerable people by locking medicine bottles to prevent over-dispensing as well as reminding patients of upcoming doses.聽聽
The Pill Connect device integrates with major clinical trial software and the company鈥檚 own companion mobile app, providing patients with a dashboard and alerts to manage past and future doses more effectively.聽
The company has partnered with global companies Aardex and Aptar, who specialise in drug dispensing technologies and adherence.聽
鈥淔ollowing a period of intensive development, during which we prioritised quality, our customers鈥� needs and patient outcomes, I am delighted to see Pill Connect move into commercial adoption,鈥� said James Burnstone, CEO of Pill Connect and inventor of the device.
鈥淥ur dispensers are now being used in clinical trials, ensuring that one of the most critical factors 鈥� the drug being taken 鈥� is now both measurable and can be acted upon during a clinical trial.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to be solving a global problem for our international customers right here from our base in Manchester.鈥�
Sim Singh-Landa, investment director and head of the GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura, added: 鈥淐linical trials depend on participants taking drugs exactly as they were intended, but we know a common problem in clinical trials, particularly in those that are de-centralised, is ensuring patient compliance and adherence.聽
鈥淧ill Connect鈥檚 impressive device solves this challenge by providing accurate, real-time dispensing data that will allow clinical trial managers to intervene in non-compliance much earlier while equipping regulators with richer efficacy data. The business is another addition to the region鈥檚 thriving life sciences eco-system.鈥�