Medicsen and the EIC Accelerator: A Needle-Free Drug Patch

Medicsensors, which trades as Medicsen and was incorporated in Madrid in 2015, has developed the Smartpatch, a wearable device about the size of a matchbox that uses low-frequency ultrasound to open skin pores temporarily so that large drug molecules such as insulin can pass through the skin without a needle. It was selected in the EIC Accelerator's January 2023 cut-off and received an EU grant of €2.50 million for a €3.84 million project that ran from August 2023 to May 2026, according to CORDIS. The project "focuses on the full commercialization of Medicsen Smartpatch".

The project is closed, and CORDIS holds only its first periodic report, to July 2024, which said the project was "advancing successfully in its full clinical trials towards achieving CE labelling", according to the CORDIS reporting page. The first human study, SOUNDD, began on 20 January 2026 at Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal in Madrid with 30 healthy volunteers, comparing the patch with a subcutaneous injection, and is estimated to complete in November 2026, according to ClinicalTrials.gov. No CE mark has been announced.

Where Medicsen Stands Now

Eduardo Jorgensen, the medical doctor who leads the company, told Deepsync that by early 2023 the company "only had enough money to cover a few more weeks", that it had approached a thousand investors, and that the EIC grant arrived "three days before we were going to tell the team they might have to find new jobs", after twelve failed applications. The grant paid for GLP studies in pigs and preparation for human trials, which he expected to begin in late 2025; they began in January 2026. Medicsen now targets insulin, the osteoporosis drug teriparatide, GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, and adalimumab.

The Technology: Opening Skin With Sound

Low-frequency ultrasound creates tiny bubbles in the skin that expand and collapse, briefly opening pathways that let molecules up to 200 kDa through; the pores close when the device stops, the company says. The patch has a reusable electronic core that lasts up to three years and a disposable drug reservoir. In unpublished trials, it delivered insulin and teriparatide through pig skin with absorption comparable to injections, Jorgensen said.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The award aimed at full commercialisation and clinical trials towards a CE mark. The EIC money kept the company alive and got the patch into its first human study, in healthy volunteers rather than patients. There is no CE mark, no published human data yet and no public final report.

1. Miniaturised deviceDeliveredMatchbox-sized patch.
2. GLP animal studiesDeliveredIn pigs, per CEO.
3. Human trialsStarted30 volunteers, 2026.
4. CE mark and launchNot yetNot announced.

The Money

Medicsen's annual turnover is between €500,000 and €1 million, according to Spanish register data summarised by Empresia, whose latest filed accounts are for 2024. Its share capital was €7,050 after a 2022 increase. Its investors and losses could not be checked from free sources.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Deepsync reports that Europe has the world's highest burden of type 1 diabetes, and the company's report says needle fatigue drives poor adherence to treatment. A painless patch for insulin or GLP-1 drugs would reach a very large market. By its CEO's account, the EIC grant arrived when the company had run short of money after approaching a thousand investors.

The Verdict

Medicsen and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.