A collaboration between MIT engineers and Brigham and Women’s Hospital has introduced an injectable drug-delivery system that sustains medication effects for months or years. Published in Nature Chemical Engineering, the study demonstrates how simple formulations can achieve longer-lasting treatment, offering potential benefits for health systems facing access challenges, including Thailand.
Led by mechanical engineering professor Giovanni Traverso, the MIT team envisions depots that form after a minimally invasive injection and release drugs steadily over extended periods. The concept grew from a Gates Foundation initiative aimed at expanding contraceptive options in resource-limited settings. Vivian Feig, formerly an MIT postdoc and now a faculty member at Stanford, helped merge implant stability with the convenience of injections.
Typical injectable medications diffuse quickly, often requiring dosing every few months. Longer-lasting options usually depend on polymer-heavy formulations that can complicate administration. The new approach uses levonorgestrel, a common contraceptive, suspended in benzyl benzoate. After injection, it creates a compact depot that enables prolonged release without bulky polymers.
The release rate is adjustable by altering depot density with small amounts of polymer additives. This adaptability could tailor treatments across a range of needs—from contraception to neuropsychiatric therapies, and to diseases like HIV and tuberculosis. Early rodent studies show stable depots, with encouraging implications for eventual human use.
For Thai audiences, the development signals potential improvements in access to long-term contraception and chronic-disease management. Thailand continues to tackle HIV and other public-health challenges, and a technology that lowers treatment frequency could ease patient burdens and reduce strain on the health system. The straightforward injection method also offers promise for rural and underserved communities where regular clinical visits are harder to secure.
Thailand has made significant health strides, yet gaps remain in regions with limited healthcare infrastructure. Innovations like this align with national priorities to strengthen public health capabilities and improve quality of life. As research advances, Thai policymakers, educators, and clinicians can begin planning for potential adoption, including integrating new concepts into curricula and piloting programs to test effectiveness within Thai communities.
Looking forward, further testing and regulatory review will determine how this technology can be implemented. Data from leading research institutions highlights the potential to transform drug delivery and public health strategy, both globally and in Thailand.
This work illustrates how scientific progress can address local health needs while advancing global medical innovation.