August 22, 2008

Meds alert system helps patients, doctors, businesses

"Our device would be especially helpful to HIV or AIDS patients who have to remember to take dozens of pills several times a day," said Della Jules, who founded Jinsitec along with her sister, Yvette.

The sisters are talking to professionals in pharmacies and clinical trial companies about these tools for managing medication regimens and to the Ministry of Health in Zimbabwe about supplying their product to patients with HIV or AIDS. Jinsitec is based in Indianapolis.

Jinsitec (JIN-si-tek), a combination of the Swahili word jinsi, which means quality, and tec for technology, is a four-person startup company using a timer designed by an Israeli inventor. The sisters work with their director of medical affairs Dr. Kenneth Freeman and a group of advisers and are making plans to produce medication timing devices that they say could be on the market in the next three to six months.

The alert comes in two forms: One is a cap and vial combination with electronics in the cap, and the other is a rectangular clip that can be attached to blister packs, tubes and other packaging. The sisters worked with industrial designers at Purdue University to give the product a finished look.

"Other devices require programming on the part of the user or are really large," Della said. "Ours will be pocket-sized and come preprogrammed from the factory so the patient can start using the device when they begin taking their prescribed medications."

The purpose is to help patients follow a prescribed form of treatment and to help increase patient compliance.

"When patients fail to take their medications at the prescribed times, it creates sloppy data and costs pharmaceutical companies millions of dollars when they run clinical trials, so drug companies are interested," said Della, who worked in clinical research for a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company. "Pharmacies are interested because offering timing devices to customers can give them the advantage over another company that doesn't."

Physicians and other health-care providers also have expressed an interest in the device. Yvette, who had the opportunity to survey health-care professionals when she worked at a medical device manufacturer, was able to collect data on how they perceive new devices. She said she was confident the health-care profession would embrace their product because nothing else seemed to be working.

"Non-compliance costs health care in this country billions of dollars, and for whatever reason, alarm clocks and watches haven't proven to be effective," she said. "Our timer does away with user error and reminds patients when they should take their doses."

Jinsitec was recently accepted as a nominee for the Technology Pioneers Award for 2009 from the World Economic Forum. The award, which will be announced in October, recognizes companies around the world that are involved in the design and development of new technologies with potential for global impact. The designation would allow Jinsitec to participate on economic committees and gain global attention as the company begins its quest to make an impact on worldwide health care.

About Purdue Research Park

The 725-acre Purdue Research Park (https://www.purdueresearchpark.com) has the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The park is home to more than 150 companies. About 100 of these firms are technology-related and another 39 are incubator businesses. The park was ranked No. 1 in 2004 for university-affiliated research parks and received the 2005 Outstanding Commercialization Award, both from the Association of University Research Parks. The park's companies also have received numerous recognitions, including a 2006 MIRA Award: Innovation of the Year for Purdue Research Park/Quadraspec Inc. and a 2005 CoreNet Global Innovators Award finalist. The Purdue Research Park is part of the Purdue Research Foundation, a private, nonprofit foundation created to assist Purdue University in the area of economic development. In addition to the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, the foundation has established or is currently constructing technology parks in other locations around Indiana including Merrillville, New Albany and Indianapolis.

To the Purdue Research Park, https://www.purdueresearchpark.com

Writer: Maggie Morris

Purdue Research Park contact: Cynthia Sequin, (765) 494-4192, casequin@prf.org