Intent Solutions Secures $1.5M Seed Funding to Advance Smart Medication Dispenser TAD for Addiction Prevention

Intent Solutions, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Atlanta, is a typical startup that recently secured $1.5 million in seed funding for its core product, the TAD medication dispenser. The company did not disclose specific investors. It has been focused on developing solutions for clinical research, pain management, and specialty pharmacies, aiming to significantly improve the monitoring and management of medication adherence while providing more accurate real-time behavioral data, such as adherence and efficacy.

Sam Zamarripa, President of Intent Solutions, stated in a press release: “Over the past few months, we have faced dual pressures. On one hand, we have been quietly raising capital, while simultaneously accelerating improvements to our technology and service offerings. During this period, we have established strategic relationships with prospective clients in the United States and Europe, who will serve as early adopters of the platform in the first quarter of 2017.”

The flagship product, TAD, is literally an acronym for “Take As Directed.” It is a connected medication dispenser designed to help users track medication adherence, ensure patients receive the appropriate dose at the right time, and prevent drug misuse. The device is programmed to open only at preset times and for predetermined doses. In fact, the inspiration for this product stemmed from the founder’s personal struggle with prescription painkiller addiction.

“As is well known, medicine bottles are designed with child-resistant caps to protect children, but what about adults? Some people even believe that taking two pills is better than taking one,” explained Martin McLean, Co-founder and Director of Business Development. “We live in a world where ‘more is better,’ but this is not always the case in reality. From a medical perspective, this is the first step toward drug addiction.” The concept behind TAD is truly simple: to invent a technology that helps people use their medications as prescribed, thereby preventing misuse and addiction.

TAD is bottle-shaped and can connect to a mobile application during use, enabling users to receive medication reminders via text message. The product records real-time adherence data and transmits it to a cloud database for analysis, thereby reducing errors and simplifying data coordination in clinical trials. This data can be shared with healthcare providers, clinical trial sites, and patients themselves. Thus, TAD, this smart portable medication dispenser, not only facilitates timely medication management but also provides feedback to physicians and administrators regarding the timing and reasons for protocol deviations.

The company’s business model is primarily B2B, involving the use of its device in clinical trials to closely monitor medication adherence and prevent misuse among patients. Intent Solutions is collaborating with the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI) to provide specialized engineering support for the development of the TAD device. Currently, the company is mainly focused on clinical research and proof of efficacy, including clinical trials at Johns Hopkins University, with plans to expand into the market in late 2016.

“We believe our technology will become an important tool for collecting valid clinical trial data. In the long run, we expect our technology to become standard equipment for caregivers.” Sam Zamarripa is highly optimistic about the future.