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”.
