I-Corps: Bioresorbable drug delivery patch for the localized treatment of Crohn's Disease

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the potential development of a novel therapy for Crohn's disease-related strictures. Approximately 750,000 Americans are diagnosed with Crohn's disease, and up to 50% of patients with Crohn's may require at least one surgical resection within 10 years of diagnosis for the structuring condition. However, the surgical approach has concerns including potential post-surgical morbidities, possible poorer quality of life, and a higher risk of unemployment, and disease recurrence with surgery is common, with 50-60% of patients needing re-operations. There is currently not a widely used intestinal-retentive therapeutic within the field of gastroenterology. A typical customer is a gastroenterology physician treating patients with Crohn's disease complicated by strictures. This physician generally works for an academic hospital or a private practice and bills a healthcare insurance company for therapy on behalf of his or her patients.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a novel therapeutic that may offer an improved effective therapy for Crohn's disease-related strictures than options currently available on the market. Specifically, the status quo for non-surgical treatment of Crohn's disease strictures is endoscopic balloon dilation, which relies on mechanical force to stretch open intestinal blockages. The proposed technology may develop a biologic delivery therapeutic that acts directly at the site of stricture, potentially secreting anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals in a time-controlled manner through biodegradation. The proposed technology may allow for repurposing traditional, but lesser effective systemic pharmaceuticals, into a platform therapy that delivers longer and more localized therapies that may unlock alternate treatment options for conditions such as Crohn's disease strictures.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.