The successful completion of a pilot study by Vaaji, conducted in collaboration with the Penn Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, has demonstrated 100% technical accuracy in monitoring patch status. This exploratory study, part of the AI/Tech + Aging Collective funded by the National Institute on Aging, validates Vaaji's proprietary smart patch system as a robust tool with potential to significantly improve safety in transdermal drug delivery. The findings address a critical safety gap for medications treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and pain management, where errors like applying multiple patches or forgetting applications can lead to ineffective treatment or life-threatening overdoses.
Vaaji is developing a solution to transform standard passive patches into smart therapeutics by leveraging advanced Internet of Things sensors and Artificial Intelligence to provide real-time visibility into medication adherence. The proof-of-concept study enrolled 51 healthy volunteers using placebo patches to evaluate the system's detection capabilities against manual oversight. The results confirmed the platform's technical reliability with 100% agreement between Vaaji's remote monitoring data and site investigator records, matching the gold standard of direct human supervision. The system successfully identified simulated patch stacking in real-time, validating the core technology required to prevent overdose events in future clinical applications, while the technology integrated smoothly into volunteers' daily routines, supporting feasibility for home-based care.
Executive commentary highlighted the significance of these findings. Patrick Mercier, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UCSD and Chief Technical Advisor at Vaaji, stated this study provides the first real-world evidence that the smart patch platform can deliver perfect accuracy in detecting patch application errors. William Z. Potter, MD, PhD, co-Principal Investigator and Chief Scientific Advisor at Vaaji, noted the 100% agreement between remote monitoring and site investigator records is a landmark result demonstrating the system's potential to match human oversight. Sandeep Patil, MD, PhD, Co-founder of Vaaji, emphasized the growing need for technologies that enable safe, independent living with the aging population.
The data from this pilot study will inform Vaaji's clinical and regulatory strategy as the company advances toward broader clinical trials involving active therapeutics. The company aims to establish its smart monitoring platform as a new safety standard for high-risk transdermal medications. The project is supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number 1-P30-AG-073105-01, as part of the A2 Collective which represents the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratories for Aging Research program. For more information, visit https://www.vaaji.io.
