Biotech company incubated at UNC receives major funding to produce advanced medications

PILL.AR, a startup focused on developing equipment to 3D print medications, has received $250,000 from a national investment fund, which is also evaluating three other biotech startups from UNC’s portfolio.

PILL.AR is a startup developing equipment that will enable decentralized, automated, and personalized production of medications through 3D printing technology. The goal is for pharmacies to offer medications tailored to each patient’s needs, similar to how it was done decades ago, but in a more efficient and precise way.

This project is led by Juan Pablo Real, a PhD in Chemical Sciences and researcher at UNC and Conicet; Daniel Real, PhD in Chemical Sciences; communications specialist Enzo Moriconi; and Santiago Palma, a scientist with extensive experience at Conicet and UNC.

After an intensive training and selection process, the SF500 accelerator decided to invest $250,000 in this startup, which develops equipment that prints tablets capable of combining more than two active ingredients. This equipment will allow the production of advanced medications faster and with higher quality, through a simple process involving inserting a cartridge into the printer and pressing a button.

Juan Pablo Real, one of the founders, highlights that receiving this investment validates all the research work they have been doing for a long time. “On the other hand, it is the key that opens the door to the next step, which is technology transfer, allowing it to reach the public.”

“This investment will essentially allow us to scale the technology, transforming the current prototype, which can produce 3D prints on a lab scale, into a more robust platform capable of producing high-quality personalized medications in any pharmacy, with consistent quality regardless of who operates it,” adds Real.

The founder estimates that with this investment, they will be able to validate the technology within 18 months to ensure it can produce high-quality, safe medications for the public. “After this period, the technology will be available for mass commercialization,” Real notes.

A science-based company

Scientists who venture into the world of entrepreneurship face various challenges. Unlike entrepreneurs in information and communication technologies (ICT), who must validate their projects within six months, scientist-entrepreneurs navigate much longer cycles.

Initially, they immerse themselves in a phase focused on knowledge building, followed by subsequent technological development. Andrés Colombo, UNC’s Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, explains this process: “Turning pure scientific knowledge into a technological product requires research, feasibility assessments, and scaling activities, which take a long time. UNC, through the Office of Innovation and Technology Transfer, supports entrepreneurs with intellectual property advice, financing management, and networking and communication resources.”

The next stage involves securing the necessary funding to cover the initial costs of these initiatives. To this end, the Office promotes partnerships with accelerators (or company builders) that monitor university-based startups.

The National University of Córdoba already has one company funded by a company builder. PILL.AR would be the second company financed by an investment fund, with expectations for SF500 to fund three more.

What is SF500 and what does it do?

SF500 is a company builder based in Rosario, Santa Fe, created through an alliance between the company Bioceres and the Santa Fe provincial government. It was established to strengthen connections between the scientific community and the productive sector through new public-private partnerships.

Its mission is to foster co-creation between researchers and entrepreneurs of globally impactful and innovative products and services. Its focus is on biotech startups, employing an open innovation model that connects universities, businesses, and the government.

SF500 aims to increase the number of biotech companies in Latin America. It has a fund of $300 million, with $7 million already invested in 19 biotech startups.

For more information, visit https://sf500.com.ar.

 

Reference: https://www.unc.edu.ar/innovaci%C3%B3n-y-vinculaci%C3%B3n/empresa-biotecnol%C3%B3gica-incubada-en-la-unc-recibi%C3%B3-importante-aporte-para

PILL.AR: The Córdoba startup revolutionizing the pharmaceutical industry

A group of people from Córdoba aims to personalize medical treatments according to each patient’s needs. The story of a company printing 3D medications.

PILL.AR, founded by Enzo Moriconi, Juan Pablo Real, Daniel Real, and Santiago Daniel Palma, is a Córdoba-based startup that is transforming medical treatments by personalizing them according to each patient’s needs. This approach aims to improve the lives of those with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and migraines, as well as rare/orphan diseases like ALS.

With this visionary approach, the company seeks to democratize access to personalized medications and revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry. But how does it accomplish this? Through a technology platform with three developments:

– Software: interprets the doctor’s prescription, determining what needs to be printed. 

– Equipment: produces the pills. 

– Inks: these are the medications in a semi-solid format, each drug represented by a different ink.

This process allows for decentralized, automated, and personalized medication production without solvents and with lower production temperatures. PILL.AR’s technology addresses issues such as excessive medication use among poly-medicated patients (over 50% of those over 70) and treatment for globally underserved diseases (over 8,000).

It’s estimated that more than 3 million people in Argentina have rare or orphan diseases, with 23% receiving inappropriate treatment. Pharmacological treatments are not personalized to each patient, creating unmet medical needs. This underscores PILL.AR’s importance for Córdoba, Argentina, and beyond.

After years of dedication to personalized medicine, Real and Palma, pharmacists and researchers at UNC and Conicet, decided to expand their work by forming PILL.AR with Moriconi and Daniel Real.

In an exclusive interview with Puntal, Moriconi, the Co-Founder & CEO of PILL.AR, highlighted the company’s mission to improve the quality of life for many people, how it all started, and their focus on cost optimization.

What does PILL.AR do?

PILL.AR is dedicated to personalizing treatments through the production of medicines, vitamins, and ultra-septics. We do this through 3D printing.

Our technology platform has three core components: 3D printers, inks, and software. We can say that we improve people’s quality of life through personalized medication. Currently, we have a prototype capable of printing up to two drugs simultaneously, and we are scaling this prototype to produce five drugs at once.

How did it all begin? What pain point did you identify in society that led to this startup’s creation?

PILL.AR was born from the research of two pharmacists and PhDs in chemical sciences, Juan Pablo Real and Santiago Real.

The pain point they identified was related to the challenges faced by compounding pharmacists. This issue was the manual process of producing compounded medications, which is done in pharmacies in a very basic, non-automated way. Additionally, there’s a growing trend of polypharmacy and the need to adjust doses for each patient, especially elderly patients who take more than five medications daily. This technology allows them to take all their medications in a single pill.

When did PILL.AR officially start?

PILL.AR officially started on July 19, 2023, following a decision to scale this project. Initially, it was an MVP with 3D printing technology patented under a different name. They realized they had an opportunity to turn this research project into a company. After conversations with various investment funds, the suggestion came up to expand the team, which is when Enzo Moriconi and Daniel Real joined.

In February, the four of us involved in the project met and decided to build the company with investment backing. Finally, in June, we were informed that we had secured funding, and that’s when we formally launched as a company.

What were your goals with the investment you received?

Our goals were to validate and develop a new MVP of the printers. We wanted something faster with greater production capacity. Additionally, we aimed to create new inks, achieve third-party validation in a real environment, and file the patent for our startup in the U.S.

Do you believe PILL.AR reduces costs?

Yes, in terms of logistical costs, as there’s savings from no longer needing to produce batches of blister packs, concentrating the drug in the same pill and pharmacy. Also, there’s less waste, as we only print what each patient needs.

Are pharmacies and hospitals on board with these technologies? What feedback have you received from them?

We work with clinics, hospitals, and laboratories. We sense a lot of interest, especially in treatments where personalization and deprescription are critical. The withdrawal of medication is often a very complex process.

What is your long-term goal, and how do you think you contribute to Córdoba?

In the long term, we envision ourselves as the company that personalizes therapy and medications worldwide—we aim to be the solution to this problem. We believe we contribute to our city by developing this project in Córdoba. We want it to be validated here and then expand to other countries. We want to tell the world that those who believed in PILL.AR’s technology are from Córdoba.

Reference: https://www.puntal.com.ar/pillar/pillar-la-startup-cordobesa-que-busca-revolucionar-la-industria-farmaceutica-n211706

Personalized medicine advances with Córdoba’s unique touch

PILL.AR is a local startup that could revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry by adapting treatments to each patient’s specific needs. With an initial investment of $250,000, it aims to supply the domestic market and export.

Juan Pablo Real and Santiago Palma are pharmacists, PhDs in chemistry, and researchers at the National University of Córdoba (UNC) and Conicet. For almost 10 years, they studied ways to improve quality of life through access to personalized medications.

In 2023, they decided to go global. Enzo Moriconi, a Social Communication graduate, and Daniel Real, Juan Pablo’s brother and a Doctor in Chemical Sciences specializing in pharmaceutical technology, nanotechnology, and 3D printing, joined the team.

In a sector dominated by major international players, these young professionals from Córdoba identified an opportunity: while the pharmaceutical industry efficiently produces large batches of standardized medications, it’s less effective at producing personalized medicine.

Pharmacological treatments are not designed for each patient type and do not fully meet medical needs. It’s estimated that in Argentina, over 3.6 million people live with rare diseases, with 23% receiving inadequate treatment.

With this potential market in mind, they created PILL.AR, an innovative platform ensuring the traceability, quality, and safety of medications. It includes software, a 3D printer, and inks that automate the process to produce medicines or vitamins with the same quality standards as standardized pharmaceutical products.

 

This printer also makes treatments more accessible, customized to the patient’s unique conditions.

Among the more than 3,500 rare diseases in Argentina, which the initiative could help address, are highly prevalent chronic diseases, such as migraines, heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and rare or orphan diseases like ALS, Chagas, and refractory epilepsy.

The initial $250,000 investment was provided by SF500, a Rosario-based venture fund dedicated to creating science-driven startups. With a $300 million fund, they’ve invested $7 million in 19 startups addressing global health and environmental demands.

An ambitious business plan

The project is currently in the validation stage, with tests underway in the Unitefa lab (UNC-Conicet). About 2,000 tablets will be produced to validate safety and efficacy in a clinical trial. The technology’s productive capacity is 2,880 tablets per day, or one tablet every 30 seconds.

This year’s plan is to complete the validation stage and develop a new prototype with greater printing capacity and additional safety features.

Commercialization will start with compounding pharmacies and local laboratories, then expand to traditional pharmacies and large chains. Exporting is also planned, with pharmacies in Ecuador, Paraguay, Brazil, and Spain expressing interest.

“There are different regulatory frameworks internationally, and as a startup, we have different strategies with varying complexities. Initially, we aim to enter countries where compounding under the seller’s responsibility is allowed. In this case, we can sell our printers, software, and inks, automating this process in the pharmacy”, explained the company.

“Our goal is also to enhance quality of life by personalizing medication doses, reducing daily pill intake to the minimum necessary. It’s estimated that over half of Argentinians over 50 take more than five daily medications”.

Reference: https://www.lavoz.com.ar/negocios/empresas/la-medicina-personalizada-avanza-con-sello-cordobes/

The 3D printer that produces medications made in Córdoba

Medications can be dosed in various formats, allowing customization by personal volume and adapting to pediatric and geriatric use.

The National University of Córdoba, as part of the “Science in Action” program, presented a 3D printer for medication production in Córdoba, recognized by the 2023 Innovar Award. This breakthrough will allow medication dosing according to each patient’s body volume and adaptation to different forms and sizes for pediatric and geriatric applications.

Researchers from UNC and Conicet have created a 3D printing platform to produce a wide variety of forms and doses tailored to each patient’s needs.

Santiago Palma, Secretary of Innovation and Technological Engagement at the National University of Córdoba, commented to Cadena 3 that “the personalization of pharmacotherapy is essential and was a technological challenge that the 3D printer now makes possible.”

Juan Pablo Real, Daniel Real, and Enzo Moriconi are the creators of this groundbreaking invention, which could revolutionize the pharmaceutical market.

“Just as Nespresso brought café-bar quality coffee into homes, we bring the printer and materials to pharmacies, enabling personalization,” highlighted Daniel Real, one of the inventors.

The product, already patented, has been sold to Chile and Ecuador, with Paraguay next in line, and there are plans to patent it in the United States.

“This printer has an advantage over traditional 3D printers that melt filaments at 190°C; ours can operate at 40°C, expanding the range of molecules that can be incorporated, such as proteins for biological medications,” added Real.

The goal is to counter the traditional concept of standardized remedies in pharmacies. This printer creates each medication tailored to patients’ needs and body types, with capsule dimensions and concentration levels adjusted so multiple medications can be combined into one pill if needed.

 

The goal is to counter the traditional concept of standardized remedies in pharmacies. This printer creates each medication tailored to patients’ needs and body types, with capsule dimensions and concentration levels adjusted so multiple medications can be combined into one pill if needed.

Palma also emphasized that “this is a tech-driven university,” and the concept is intellectually protected, with aims to expand. “It helps us improve quality of life and adapt medications to optimize usage and criteria.”

The University hopes to shift the current paradigm, envisioning a future where pharmacists load the cartridge without powder or solvents, and the product is ready for consumption once printed.

Interview from “Viva la Radio”

Reference: https://www.cadena3.com/noticia/ciencia-en-accion/la-impresora-3d-que-fabrica-medicamentos-y-se-hizo-en-cordoba_370138