New York City-based AdhereTech is now shipping the second generation of its smart pill bottle to pharma and provider customers. The new version comes with a number of changes based on the user feedback, and will additionally allow the company to expand its reach outside of the U.S.
“The Gen 1 worked great, and it got over all the regulatory hurdles, but we always looked at it as a device we would perfect in the next iteration,” AdhereTech CEO Josh Stein told MobiHealthNews. “We got a lot of patient feedback and we wanted to incorporate that into the next generation and also build a device that could be produced at scale. So that’s what we’ve been doing for the last year and a half, building the Gen 2 bottle.”
Beyond alerting users with sound and light to take their pills, AdhereTech’s product can also send a text message or even make phone calls to remind users to stay on track with their regimen. This is made possible thanks to the built-in cellular connectivity, which in the new version of the bottle, supports international mobile operators (in addition to those based in the United States). Moreover, the accompanying software also allows users to provide feedback on their moods, symptoms, and reasons for non-adherence.
The updated product comes with an increased battery life, brighter lights, louder chimes, and a new form factor that makes it look like a regular pill bottle.Other changes of the updated product include increased battery life (from two to six months), brighter lights, louder chimes, and a new form factor that makes the product look like a regular pill bottle. That new design also comes with no moving parts, making it easier to manufacture at scale.
In addition to developing the new bottle, the company has signed on a number of new customers, including a few major pharma companies; it is also working with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center on clinical trials, and with Mount Sinai, Partner’s HealthCare, AARP, and UnitedHealthcare on post-discharge monitoring.
Last year, AdhereTech raised $1.75 million in Series A funding.