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Antineoplastic agents

Steady Release of Cancer Drugs: MIT Team Develops Tablets for Improved Effectiveness and Reduced Side Effects

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has made significant progress in developing tablets that can deliver cancer drugs more steadily into the bloodstream, potentially improving effectiveness and reducing side effects. The team, led by Zach Winn, has developed a 3D-printed fiber-based tablet that turns into a gel-like substance when exposed to water, allowing it to stay in the stomach for up to a day and release the drug in controlled quantities. This technology could revolutionize the way cancer treatments are administered, making it a game-changer in the field of oncology.

Key Takeaways:

  • The MIT team has developed a 3D-printed fiber-based tablet that can deliver cancer drugs more steadily into the bloodstream, reducing side effects and improving effectiveness.
  • The tablet uses tiny 3D-printed fibers that turn into a gel-like substance when exposed to water, allowing it to stay in the stomach for up to a day and release the drug in controlled quantities.
  • The team, led by Zach Winn, has been working on this technology for over a decade, refining their design and conducting animal experiments to prove its efficacy.
  • The tablets have shown promising results in human trials, with the company planning to begin testing their ability to improve the effectiveness and safety of cancer drugs in patients in about a year.
  • Aron Blaesi, the founder of Enzian Pharmaceutics, notes that many orally delivered cancer drugs could benefit from this technology, which could improve treatment outcomes and reduce side effects.
  • The tablets use a unique microstructure that allows gastrointestinal fluid to percolate through the pill and dissolve rapidly, making it a more efficient and effective way to deliver drugs.
  • Enzian's technology could also be used to improve treatments for blood, skin, and breast cancers.
  • Blaesi estimates that theotechnology could get down to about a tenth of the current dose of a popular prostate cancer drug, while maintaining a better therapeutic effect.

Statistics:

  • The MIT team's technology has shown that the concentration of drugs in the blood can be up to 50 times greater when taking a pill, causing problems and side effects. (Source: MIT News)
  • Enzian's tablets have been shown to stay in the stomach of animals for up to 12 to 24 hours before being safely excreted. (Source: MIT News)
  • The current way of delivering cancer drugs can result in short dosing intervals, requiring high doses of the drug, which can lead to problems and side effects. (Source: MIT News)

Sources:

  • MIT News: "MIT Team's Technology Could Allow Cancer Drugs to be Delivered More Steadily into the Bloodstream" (October 23, 2025)
  • MIT News: "MIT's Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing" (no date)
  • Blaesi, A., & Saka, N. (2019). "Expandable Fibrous Tablets for Prolonged Drug Delivery." Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 108(3), 1015-1025.

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