Overview
As a culminating project for my summer internship in AbbVie’s Pharmacovigilance and Patient Safety department, the intern class was asked to create an innovative digital solution to mitigate risks associated with one of AbbVie’s drugs. My group was assigned Rinvoq, a Janus kinase inhibitor approved for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. We identified potential product safety risks, and decided to focus on the increased risk of blood clots in patient taking Rinvoq. Our solution, the ClotBot, is a digital micro-needle patch that utilizes nanotechnology to detect and destroy blood clots.
Project Details
My Role
Product Design
Time
3 Weeks
Team
4 AbbVie PPS Interns
ClotBot is a digital nanotechnology solution that can be utilized in patients taking RINVOQ in order to minimize the possible risk of blood clots associated with the drug. On the right are some of our product’s key factors.
Our team was assigned to address the risks associated with RINVOQ. RINVOQ is a JAK inhibitor that is used in adults who have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Out of the potential risks listed, we decided to focus on VTEs, specifically focusing on the detection of blood clots.
To give some perspective into blood clots, as many as 900,000 people experience blood clots in the US each year.
From those 900,000 people, almost 100,000 people die from blood clots each year in the US. This is clearly an issue that has to be taken into account when taking a new drug.
We defined 4 key problems to address with our digital solution.
We Identified Robert as our user persona. Robert is a 78-year-old man with diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Robert was recently prescribed Rinvoq and has already noticed its positive effects on his arthritis, however due to his age and status as a diabetic, he remains worried about his predisposition to blood clots along with the increased risk for them while taking Rinvoq.
ClotBot Prototype
Product Simulation
ClotBot monitors antithrombin levels to detect blood clots early on to prevent fatalities. The ClotBot will be used for patients who are already at increased risk of blood clots. The ClotBot is painless and easy to use. With personal antithrombin levels at their fingertips, the user can notify their doctor of their levels, encouraging patient reporting of adverse events.
We plan to take the following measures to mitigate risks associated with the product. The use of titanium prevents the microneedles from breaking off in the skin. To ensure the nanobots are cleared from the body, they will be optimized for clearance through the renal system. Incorrect reporting is mitigated by the nanobots ability to fully dissolve in the case of no blood clots.
