Imagine taking just one pill in the morning and being covered for all your medications for the entire day.
That’s the future scientists at the University of California San Diego are working toward with a new type of timed-release capsule.
This innovative capsule can hold multiple medications and release them at specific times during the day, making it much easier for patients to stick to their treatment schedules.
The research, recently published in Matter, aims to simplify life for people who need to take several medications at different times.
Missing a dose or taking the wrong one at the wrong time can be dangerous, but keeping track of a complex pill routine can be tough—especially for those with chronic illnesses.
This new capsule is designed to solve that problem by doing all the timing work for the patient.
The capsule contains separate compartments for each medication.
Each one is sealed with a barrier made of sugars and a special pH-sensitive material that dissolves only when it reaches certain areas of the digestive system.
By adjusting how thick or dense the material is, scientists can control exactly when each drug is released throughout the day.
The outer shell of the capsule is made from plant-based materials. When swallowed, the capsule’s cap dissolves quickly in the stomach, releasing the first medication. The rest of the capsule stays intact until it’s time for the next doses to be released.
One especially clever feature of the capsule is the addition of microscopic magnesium particles. These tiny particles react with stomach acid to produce bubbles that stir the capsule’s contents, helping medications dissolve faster—perfect for drugs that need to work quickly, like painkillers or emergency treatments. The magnesium also temporarily lowers the stomach’s acidity, helping trigger the timed release of later doses.
All the materials used to make the capsule are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which could make it easier to bring to market. As a first test, the team used the capsule to deliver three timed doses of levodopa, a drug used to manage Parkinson’s disease. The experiment showed that each dose could be released at the right time, maintaining a more consistent drug level in the body—a big help for patients who need steady symptom control throughout the day.
In the future, this capsule could be used for patients who take several different medications, like those with heart disease. Instead of juggling multiple pills, one capsule could deliver the right drugs at the right time, improving treatment and reducing stress.
Next steps include testing in animals, increasing production, and exploring ways to extend the capsule’s effectiveness beyond one day.
