Throughout history, man has looked towards the future to find ways to improve ways of treating acute and chronic health conditions. Over the last half a century, the focus has been on moving from managing conditions with medications to being able to treat conditions with the use of implants and devices that take over the functioning of the body or assist the body in functioning.
What Are Bioelectronics?
Electroceuticals are an advancement on medical implants. They are sometimes also called bioelectronics, and they are an alternative to medications for the treatment of specific types of conditions. These are extremely small devices that are implanted in the body the body and generate electrical impulses that stimulate different parts of the body.
The most common use of electroceuticals is in pain management and the treatment of neurological and central nerve system disorders and conditions. In these applications, the implants are able to respond to read the signals produced by the body, targeting the treatment area and stimulating the corresponding system in the body.
The Benefits
For pharmaceutical companies, the move into electroceuticals offers a way to provide effective treatment without the risk of side-effects and possible costly litigation. In addition, these products offer a long life cycle when compared to other treatment options, providing greater support for patients.
The economics of the move into bioelectronics has not been lost on the pharmaceutical companies. In the last few years, the National Institute of Health provided over $250million in research in this area. One of the larger drug companies, GlaxoSmithKline, established a $50 million venture capital fund in 2013 with multiple other companies coming forward with new products and research incentives.
DARPA or the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the USA has also committed to seven different electronic prescriptions (ElectRx) projects with the first project funded with a $78.9 million budget. This project includes the study of nano-sized devices for nerve modulation after trauma or illness.
At NEO Tech, we are working with leaders in the field of electroceuticals in the production of new and innovative treatment options. To find out more see us
