Imagine a future where multiple medications come in a single pill
The pharmacists behind Craft Health:
Dr Lim Seng Han (left) and Dr Goh Wei Jiang (right).
What if there was a single pill to cure multiple ailments and fulfil all your nutritional needs? This is not a product of the latest Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster. Rather, it is a reality made possible by two pharmacists-turned-entrepreneurs from the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP).
GRIP cultivates deep-tech entrepreneurs by providing step-by-step guidance, support and funding for postgraduate students and researchers to create their own deep technology start-ups. One such start-up is Craft Health. Founded by Dr Goh Wei Jiang and Dr Lim Seng Han in 2019, Craft Health 3D-prints multiple medicines into one pill.
“While working as pharmacists at the Singapore General Hospital, we saw a common problem — patients going home with bags of medication, accompanied by complicated dosing regimens such as before food, after food and/or multiple times a day. What if we could simplify the process?” shared Dr Goh, Craft Health’s Chief Executive Officer. GRIP was what spurred them to turn Dr Lim’s PhD thesis — 3D printing for personalised drug delivery — into a business.
Call GRIP an aspiring entrepreneur’s starter kit. The 12-month programme gives budding entrepreneurs all the necessary support including mentorship, funding, an office space and networking opportunities with potential investors.
"I was exposed to the idea of being an entrepreneur and, potentially, a game changer. The support provided by GRIP reduced the barriers to starting a company,” said Dr Lim, who serves as Craft Health’s Chief Operating Officer.
The NUS Pharmacy graduates had returned to their alma mater to pursue PhDs in Pharmacy, both of them funded by scholarships. Dr Lim was on the NUS President’s Graduate Fellowship, while Dr Goh received a scholarship under the NUS PhD-MBA programme.
Returning to a student’s life without an income was not easy, but the scholarships lightened their financial load and allowed them to focus on developing Craft Health.
Today, Craft Health is in talks with a local hospital to simplify pill-taking for the elderly. They are also in discussions with pharmaceutical companies to produce personalised pills.
Drawn by this altruistic vision, NUS Chemistry graduate Alicia Goh (’20) joined Craft Health as a research associate. She said, “I’ve witnessed loved ones with multiple health issues struggle to remember to take their pills. I’m optimistic that our team can eliminate this problem and raise the quality of healthcare.”
This is how Craft Health taps on technology to get a grip on the healthcare challenges of tomorrow.
