Revolution MD uses blockchain technology, IoT to dispense opioids more safely
By Tom Ballard, Chief Alliance Officer, PYA
Josh Kimmel knows what it is like to be addicted to pain medications, and he has a solution that draws on blockchain technology and the Internet of Things to dispense opioids more safely.
“I want to control a controlled substance instead of assuming people will be compliant,” the President and Co-Founder of Revolution MD Inc. (RevMD) says. “We are going after the root cause of the opioid crisis and patients not being compliant are where it starts. Most of the focus and support from state and federal legislatures is on treatment for people already addicted.”
Explaining that he was recovering from surgery and pushing the morphine button on the pump, Kimmel said it would only dispense a predetermined amount. This sparked him to ask why opioids can’t be dispensed in a controlled device with current technology.
Kimmel’s solution combines several technologies into a medication delivery device called “INHALE” that delivers a measured dose of opioid as the patient inhales along with Blockchain technology that requires the patient to authenticate his or her identity using a thumbprint before any mist is dispensed.
The biometric thumbprint lock ensures that only the prescribed individual can receive the medication and receives only the amount prescribed. In addition, the “INHALE” device can only be activated during the prescribed time, further protecting against overdose and abuse, and the device includes an antagonist that renders the medication inert if the device is broken or tampered with.
The “INHALE” technology includes a patented high performance Blockchain network, (Bio++), that ensures real time connectivity and control of the device. This allows interfaces with health care providers that enable remote activation/deactivation and tapering methods for weening patients off the medication.
“Think of it as a general ledger transaction,” he explains in describing how the technology works. “Every dose is a transaction.”
Kimmel started putting the business case together about three years ago along with Ken Greenwood, a Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. They filed multiple patents for the mist delivery process, abuse deterrents, and the network connectivity in 2018 that include about 30 individual claims.
“We did not reinvent the wheel, but instead put technologies together in a novel way,” Kimmel explains. “We’re not coming out with a new drug that has not been dispensed this way. There are existing devices already on the market, but ours is unique in its focus of delivering opioids by utilizing real time biometric authentication on a Blockchain network in addition to abuse deterrents to prevent overdose and diversion.
Revolution MD has assembled a world class team with expertise in various aspects of the pharmaceutical, regulatory, healthcare, cyber security, and finance industries. “We are focused on current discussions with strategic partners and investors in various aspects of the value chain as well as supporting our humanitarian objective of reducing dependency and saving lives from overdose,” Kimmel says.
The company has financed itself through seed financing and personal investment by Kimmel. The company is preparing to launch a Series A round, fueling the company’s opioid addiction solution as well as other future opportunities.
“Revolution MD is pioneering new drug delivery methods and pairing them with cutting-edge research in advanced AI (artificial intelligence), machine learning and medical-based analytics,” the company states on its website. That focus includes medical analytics, pharmaceuticals and urgent care in addition to the one about which Kimmel is so passionate.
