A group from Córdoba seeks to personalize medical treatments according to patient needs. The story of the company that 3D prints medications

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PILL.AR is a Córdoba-based startup, founded by Enzo Moriconi, Juan Pablo Real, Daniel Real, and Santiago Daniel Palma, that is redefining medical treatments through personalization tailored to each patient’s needs. In other words, they customize medications to improve the quality of life of people with chronic diseases such as diabetes and migraines, or rare/orphan diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

With this revolutionary vision, the company aims to democratize access to personalized medications and transform the pharmaceutical industry. But how do they make this possible? Through a technological platform with three components:

– Software: receives the doctor’s prescription, interprets what needs to be printed, and manages production.

– 3D Printing: produces the pills.

– Inks: the medication in semi-solid form; each drug is a separate ink with no combination of drugs within a single ink.

This process enables decentralized, automated, and personalized medication production, eliminating the need for solvents and reducing production temperatures. According to PILL.AR, this technology provides solutions to problems such as excessive medication consumption in poly-medicated individuals (over 50% of people over 70) and the treatment of globally neglected diseases (more than 8,000).

En nuestro país, se estima que más de 3 millones de personas padecen enfermedades poco frecuentes o raras y un 23% recibe un tratamiento incorrecto. Los tratamientos farmacológicos no se personalizan para cada paciente en especial. Esto, genera que no se satisfagan las necesidades médicas correspondientes. Por eso, se destaca la importancia de PILL.AR para Córdoba, Argentina y el mundo.In Argentina, it is estimated that over 3 million people suffer from rare or uncommon diseases, and 23% receive inadequate treatment. Pharmacological treatments are generally not personalized for each patient, meaning medical needs are often unmet. This highlights the importance of PILL.AR for Córdoba, Argentina, and the world.

Juan Pablo Real and Santiago Palma are pharmacists and researchers at the National University of Córdoba (UNC) and CONICET. For many years, they focused entirely on personalized medications. In 2023, after discussions with various investment funds, they expanded the team and founded PILL.AR with Enzo Moriconi and Daniel Real.

In an exclusive interview with Puntal, Moriconi, Co-Founder & CEO of PILL.AR, highlighted the company’s mission to improve people’s quality of life, the origins of the project, and cost optimization.

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What does PILL.AR do?

PILL.AR se dedica a la personalización de tratamientos a través de la producción de medicamentos, vitaminas y ultra sépticos, lo hacemos a través de impresiones 3D.

Nuestra plataforma tecnológica tiene tres desarrollos: Impresoras 3D, tintas y el software. Podemos decir que mejoramos la calidad de vida de las personas a través de la personalización de medicamentos. Hoy en día tenemos un prototipo que imprime hasta dos drogas a la vez, estamos escalando ese prototipo para producir 5 drogas en simultáneo.

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How did it all start? What problem did they identify in society that led to the startup?

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

The problem they identified was related to the challenges faced by compounding pharmacists. Compounding medications were produced manually in pharmacies, in a poorly automated and low-tech process. Additionally, the trend of poly-medication and the need to adjust doses for each patient—especially older adults taking more than five medications daily—meant that all medications could be combined into a single pill.

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When was PILL.AR founded?

The company officially started on July 19, 2023, after deciding to scale the project. It began as an MVP with patented 3D printing technology under another name. After realizing the opportunity to turn the research project into a company and discussions with investment funds, Enzo Moriconi and Daniel Real joined the team.

In February, the four founders met to develop the company with the investment fund. By June, funding was secured, and the company officially launched.

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What were the goals for the received investment?

Validation and creation of a new MVP printer with higher speed and production capacity, development of new inks, third-party validation in real environments, and internationalization, including patent filing in the U.S.

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Does PILL.AR reduce costs?

Yes, in terms of logistics, by eliminating the need to produce large blister packs and concentrating the drug in a single pill at the pharmacy, and in terms of waste, since only the required amount for each patient is printed.

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Are pharmacies and hospitals supportive of this technology? What feedback have you received?

The company works with clinics, hospitals, and laboratories. There is significant interest, especially for treatments where personalization and deprescription are critical. Drug withdrawal is often very complex.

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

Long-term, the vision is to be the company that personalizes therapy and medications worldwide, providing a solution to the problem. PILL.AR contributes to Córdoba by developing the project locally, validating it in Argentina first, and then expanding internationally. They aim to show the world that the people behind PILL.AR are from Córdoba.