Living Pharmacies Bring Biologic Drugs Under Your Skin

Researchers have developed HOBIT, a fully implantable bioelectronic device the size of a thumb drive that houses genetically engineered drug-producing cells and uses electrochemical reactions to supply them with oxygen. In rat trials, the device sustained three different cell strains for 31 days, maintaining steady production of an anti-HIV antibody, a metabolic hormone, and a GLP-1-like peptide, with 64.6% cell viability compared to 19.2% in controls. The long-term vision is a subcutaneous 'living pharmacy' capable of delivering multiple biologic therapies on demand over months or years, with future iterations potentially incorporating biosensors and optogenetic or electrogenic control of drug dosing. The team is already applying the technology to cancer immunotherapy through ARPA-H's THOR project, though FDA approval for biohybrid devices remains an unresolved regulatory hurdle.