International Life Sciences Awards 2020

12 GHP / 2020 International Life Sciences Awards , LiGalli BV Most innovative Women’s Health Drug Delivery &Diagnostic product: LiGalli MedRing LiGalli stronglybelieves that anno2020, we shouldno longer be taking an inferior ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach todrug administration that does not take in to accountwhether youare amanor awoman, aged20or 80, weight of 40or 120kg. Instead,medication shouldbe personalised andwomen should be self-empowered to do so. Therefore, theNetherlands-based FemTech company has developed a uniqueconcept inthefieldof smart therapies anddiagnosticswhichhas thepotential torevolutionise thewomen’shealthmarket.TheLiGalliMedRingisdesignedfordrugdeliveryanddiagnostics through themore effectivevaginal routeand is controlleddigitallyviaa continuous connectionwithamobile device.We foundout abitmoreabout the latest innovationindrugadministrationtechnology. Established in 2014 by CEO Willem de Laat MD PHD MBA, LiGalli is on a mission to revolutionize drug delivery and diagnostics for women. The Netherlands-based company is the proud inventor of a unique and innovative vaginal ring that includes an electromechanical system developed for drug delivery and/or diagnostics. Having discovered that the uptake of medicines by the vaginal mucosa is superior to the gastro-intestinal uptake, which has to pass via the liver first, the team at LiGalli created a ring designed to facilitate ‘two-way’ traffic in the vagina. ‘Inbound’ was the fast absorption of medicines through direct action at the target, whilst ‘outbound’ would be the diagnostic data that could be captured in an area of the body that has dense vascularization, resulting in highly accurate detection of various chemical compounds and hormones. The findings have been protected by six patent filings, with the basic ring patent recently granted. Thanks to the electromechanical system at the heart of the mechanism, the LiGalli MedRing is a smart device that connects to a mobile device, utilising the diagnostic data transmitted from the body so that the user can administer drugs in accordance with the body’s own needs, rather than a universal standardised model. In an era where individualization is a key feature of progression, this same self-empowerment and personalization should – and soon will, thanks to LiGalli – be applied to prescriptions. The LiGalli MedRing can therefore change dosage, schedule and timing wirelessly via a mobile device, whilst providing objective confirmation of the intake of the medication through its temperature sensor (that will only log body temperature if operational and in situ). The LiGalli MedRing will collect a host of valuable physiological data that assist in recognizing the necessity of adjusting dose (f.i.insulin) based on the results of sensors (f.i.glucose), provide insight in the effectivity of the medication and in that way allow optimization of medication, dose and schedule for the individual patient as in the general population. Created through the collaboration of a team of equally ambitious and innovative doctors, scientists, engineers, biochemical experts, Sep20481 patent experts and strategic partners, the LiGalli MedRing has been released in a region reputed for its academic institutions. As home of many of the international talents in Pharmaceutical R&D, the Netherlands has played host to the innovators of LiGalli since the initial stages of the ring’s development, many of whom were involved in the NuvaRingTM development. Having worked with a team of likeminded and inspired individuals, De Laat is now looking globally to recruit ambitious and creative women who can contribute the most insightful inputs to a project designed with women at the heart. With plans to launch the LiGalli MedRing with a partner in the next three years, the team at LiGalli is already looking to expand the capabilities of their device, developing more rings with many other systemic medications, complete with more sensor and diagnostic applications. The end result that LiGalli is hoping to ultimately achieve is a ‘closed loop’ technology in their MedRings, that combines drug delivery and diagnostics so that the latter guides and monitors the delivery of drugs and prescriptions digitally. The ambition and forward-thinking that centers around innovation in women’s health constantly motivates LiGalli to continue exploring new avenues in drug administration and diagnostic technology. With hopes and expectations to build relationships with future partners that share the company’s ethos of innovation, LiGalli is fully devoted to creating the very best in intelligent solutions for women’s health. Contact: Willem de Laat Company: LiGalli BV Telephone: + 31-6-533 534 73 Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.ligalli.nl