image: Implantable bioelectronics developed in the lab of Rice University bioengineer Omid Veiseh.
Credit: Brandon Martin/Rice University
PITTSBURGH – A Carnegie Mellon University-led team of researchers has secured an award of up to $34.9 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The funds will fast track a bioelectronic implant that could radically improve treatment options and significantly reduce the cost of care for patients with obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
The award will drive the accelerated development and testing of “Rx On-site Generation Using Electronics (ROGUE),” a bioelectrical device that hosts a “living pharmacy,” consisting of engineered cells that produce biological therapy to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity. The device will offer continuous, adjustable, and low-cost therapy deployment via a minimally invasive procedure performed in an outpatient clinic. Additionally, in a stark contrast from the traditional delivery of biologics, it will eliminate the need for weekly injections, trips to the pharmacy, and careful storage of expensive medications.
“This project is the peak deployment of several core technologies we have developed and refined over the past five years, as part of the Bioelectric Medicine Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University,” said Carnegie Mellon University materials science and bioengineer Tzahi Cohen-Karni, who serves as primary investigator on the ARPA-H award. “Bioelectronic devices offer a myriad of benefits, including adjustable therapy delivery, dynamic monitoring, and reduced biologics healthcare costs. We are leveraging our collective strengths to develop an effective and sustainable solution to reduce the burden of chronic care for two global epidemics – obesity and Type 2 diabetes.”
ARPA-H is a federal funding agency established in 2022 to support research that has “the potential to transform entire areas of medicine and health.”
The collaborative team includes 17 co-PIs from Boston University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, Rice University, UC Berkeley, the Mayo Clinic and New York City-based Bruder Consulting and Venture Group. It includes engineers, physicians and multidisciplinary specialists in synthetic biology, materials science, electrical engineering, and other fields.
“The Rice Biotech Launch Pad is determined to facilitate the clinical translation and commercialization of this breakthrough and market disruptive, first-in-class technology,” said Rice University bioengineer Omid Veiseh, co-investigator on the ARPA-H award. “We are developing a minimally invasive implant that can produce a year’s supply of a treatment for chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and obesity. With a simple, once-a-year procedure, ROGUE will replace current treatments that have to be administered daily, weekly or monthly.”
This effort is funded under ARPA-H’s REACT program and includes funding for a first-in-human clinical trial for patients facing obesity and Type 2 diabetes. The trial preparation is slated to begin in the fifth year of the six-year project.
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About Carnegie Mellon University
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The College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University is a top-ranked engineering college that is known for our Advanced Collaboration culture in research and education. The College is well-known for working on problems of both scientific and practical importance. Our “maker” culture is ingrained in all that we do, leading to novel approaches and transformative results. Our acclaimed faculty have a focus on innovation management and engineering to yield transformative results that will drive the intellectual and economic vitality of our community, nation, and world.