About

Photopill Medical developed a revolutionary state-of-the-art disposable swallowable electronic capsule (the IBD-Cap™) for treating Crohn's disease flare-ups, as well as provide preventive treatment in-between flares, by implementing PhotoBio-Modulation treatment (PBMt) and gut microbiota modulation light-protocols, as the capsule travels through the intestine. The Photopill technology is a unique disruptive technology that would be a first of its kind local intestinal treatment for mucosal tissue and gut bacteria related disorders. This would present a safe, easy to use, cost effective solution for a huge market and to a very painful problem.
The Company has demonstrated pre-clinical validation in animals, and preliminary human clinical data in rectal IBD patients, using a Photopill’s dedicated rectal device. The company has strong IP and experienced team that includes leading market professionals from the IBD and capsule engineering field. PhotoPill is now commencing a clinical study with Crohn’s disease patients to be followed by a pivotal clinical study in the US.
The Problem: it is estimates that 40 million people around the world suffer from IBD. In the US, alone, there are 3 million patients of which 1.5 million suffer from Crohn’s disease. Today, less than 50% of those patients respond to the existing drugs on the market, and that response diminishes, over time, by half. The need for an innovative solution is exemplified by the fact that 75% of the Crohn’s disease patients and 20% of the Ulcerative Colitis patients will require an operation to remove the inflamed intestinal section despite the drugs treatment they receive. In addition, while 44% of the patients use biologics drug therapy, the preferred treatment for moderate to severe patients, some 1/3 of them cannot tolerate it over time and stop using it. Furthermore, a substantial portion patients may suffer from severe side effects including, among other, psoriasis, tuberculosis, higher tendency to develop cancer, strong allergies and increased likelihood to develop infections because of the use of immune system suppressant drugs.

The Solution: Photopill Medical Ltd has developed an electronic capsule (the IBD-Cap™ Pill) swallowed by the patient which emits a non-ionizing, non -thermal light using specific wavelengths and delivers photon energy to the inflamed bowel area. The energy is generated  during the travel of the Pill in the patient’s gastrointestinal tract, creating a photo biomodulation therapy (PBMt) which has a known and proven anti-inflammatory and tissue recovery effect, as well as a positive impact on the gut bacteria. The Pill remains intact until naturally disposed of during a regular bowel movement. The Pill, which measures 3cm long by 1cm wide (same measurements as the now popular Given Imaging endoscopy replacement imaging pill), consists of an optical motion sensor, two arrays of high-power LEDs with beam shaping optics, a couple of miniature Li-Ion batteries, a RF transmitter and a computer central processing unit. The Pill is capable of autonomous navigation and commences its light therapy at the designated treatment site while automatically adjusting the power to maintain the appropriate treatment photon energy dose. The first product is targeted at the Crohn’s disease and will be indicated to be swallowed first thing in the morning with a glass of water, when the small intestine is clear following a night’s sleep. It will be administered 3 times a week for the initial 10-12 weeks of inflammation, and thereafter can be taken on a regular basis, once a week, to serve as an effective preventative measure against future recurring inflammation flare-ups episodes. In addition, it is not expected to induce any side effects whatsoever. Therefore, the Pill, may become the therapy of choice to some 80% of the Crohn’s disease patients. As a result, the number of required surgeries post treatment and other associated hospitalization costs are anticipated to decline significantly.  In addition, the total cost for the healthcare system will be reduced substantially by future use of the Pill instead of very expensive biologic drug therapy. The combination of the above attributes opens the possibility for the Pill to become, in the future, the golden standard of care for these patients. It is for these reasons, that the FDA has granted the Company a regulatory breakthrough device designation for the development and clinical trials of the Pill.