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RIYADH: A joint research team from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and the University of California, San Diego, has developed a smart multi-compartment capsule that contains the medications a patient requires throughout the day.

The development is a breakthrough and a new approach in the field of timed drug delivery, customized to each patient’s needs, according to a KACST press release reported by the Saudi Press Agency.

The capsule’s design uses a programmed release mechanism in a single unit, helping patients — especially those on several medications — follow treatment plans more easily.

This innovation improves adherence, enhances drug efficacy, and supports better health outcomes in a personalized care framework, the SPA added.

The US-patented capsule features smart polymer barriers that separate medications, releasing each at the right time. Some parts also self-regulate to relieve pain or respond quickly to urgent needs.

The capsule reduces drug interactions, missed doses, and the risk of an overdose. The World Health Organization reports that nearly 50 percent of chronic illness patients fail to take medications as prescribed, leading to complications and higher healthcare costs.

KACST Bioengineering Institute lead researcher Dr. Amal Abbas said the innovation simplifies medication management through a smart capsule that delivers the right drug, in the right dose, at the right time.

She added that it aims to improve adherence rates and cut costs from unused or improperly used medications.

The capsule will transform how patients manage several medications for chronic and heart conditions, making therapies smarter, simpler, and more effective, driving a shift toward personalized medicine, according to the report.

Abbas said that clinical tests have shown promising results in patients with Parkinson’s, providing rapid and sustained responses to symptom-control drugs.

Aligned with Vision 2030 goals, the capsule could reduce healthcare and pharmaceutical costs by up to 20 percent and hospital operating costs by up to 8 percent, while improving overall health outcomes through advanced technology, the SPA reported.

The team is completing regulatory procedures to begin precise preclinical and clinical trials to confirm the innovation’s safety and effectiveness, the report said.