Medicated Oral Film for Epilepsy, Green Concrete Among Ideas Supported by NUS Innovation Programme 

July 6, 2023

Article published by The Straits Times 

Local start-up PharLyfe+ has developed medicated oral films which can be easily administered to treat epilepsy. 

The film, made of edible polymers, is stuck inside the patient’s cheek and medicine on the film is released directly into the bloodstream. 

PharLyfe+ was one of the 14 start-ups featured at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Graduate Research Innovation Programme (Grip) Lift-Off Day on Wednesday. 

Grip, now in its ninth run, is a three-month structured programme that guides participants to become deep-tech entrepreneurs, translating their research into start-ups. 

At the end of the programme, teams present their start-ups to venture capitalists, incubators and industry players to secure funding and support. 

Dr Tan Poh Leng, 37, co-founder of PharLyfe+, said: “As mothers, we have seen how difficult it is to get children to take injections. Some children also have difficulty swallowing tablets, especially big ones. So we feel that our films would address these problems as they are easy to take. It can be used for the elderly as well.” 

People with epilepsy have seizures. The most common form of medication to stop the seizure is an injection to the arm or a medicine inserted to the rectum, which may be distressing for the patient and difficult to administer. 

PharLyfe+’s innovation makes administering medicine to epileptics easier. 

The buccal films are also being specialised for end-of-life care with a different combination of medicines and polymers. 

PharLyfe+ is seeking regulatory approval for the films and is conducting human trials.