Imagine a patient living with type 2 diabetes who starts a new medication after receiving encouraging advice from their doctor. The treatment has shown promise in studies and offers hope for better disease management. For a while, everything goes according to plan. Then, daily responsibilities begin to interfere. A dose is forgotten. Another is delayed. Over time, maintaining a strict treatment schedule becomes difficult. This situation is not unusual. Healthcare providers around the world have long recognized that managing chronic diseases involves more than developing effective medicines. Patients often need to follow treatment plans for months or years, and maintaining consistent medication use can be challenging. As a result, researchers and medical technology companies have increasingly focused on finding new ways to deliver medicines over extended periods with less dependence on frequent dosing.
Vivani Medical is one of the companies working in this area. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company develops implant-based drug delivery technologies designed to provide controlled medication release over long periods. Its proprietary NanoPortal™ platform serves as the foundation for several investigational products aimed at obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions. By combining nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, and pharmaceutical science, Vivani Medical seeks to develop long-duration treatment options that may reduce the burden associated with repeated dosing and frequent injections.
The Growing Importance of Smart Drug Delivery Systems
Drug delivery has evolved significantly over the past several decades. Traditional treatment methods often rely on daily tablets, weekly injections, or other recurring forms of administration. While these approaches have helped millions of patients, they also require continuous participation and adherence to treatment schedules. Smart drug delivery systems are designed to address some of these challenges by providing controlled and sustained release of medications. Rather than delivering medicine in short intervals, these technologies aim to maintain more consistent drug exposure over longer periods.
Researchers have explored various forms of controlled-release technologies, including injectable formulations, transdermal systems, and implantable devices. Among these approaches, implant-based platforms have attracted attention because they can potentially provide medication delivery for months without requiring repeated administration. Vivani Medical developed NanoPortal technology with this objective in mind, focusing on long-term delivery of therapeutic compounds through miniature implants placed beneath the skin.
Vivani Medical’s Focus on Long-Duration Drug Delivery
Vivani Medical operates as a clinical-stage company dedicated to developing miniature subdermal implants for chronic disease treatment. The company focuses on conditions that often require long-term medication management, particularly obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The company’s core technology platform, NanoPortal™, is designed to deliver medication at a controlled rate over extended periods. According to Vivani, the platform can accommodate a variety of therapeutic molecules, including peptide-based medicines commonly used in modern metabolic disease treatment. The company’s strategy centers on combining established pharmaceutical compounds with a delivery system intended to support long-duration administration. This approach allows Vivani to focus not only on the medicine itself but also on how the therapy reaches patients over time.
Understanding NanoPortal Technology
NanoPortal technology forms the foundation of Vivani Medical’s product pipeline. The platform consists of a miniature implant designed for placement beneath the skin through a minimally invasive procedure. Each implant contains a drug reservoir that stores the medication. A specially engineered nanotube membrane controls the movement of drug molecules from the reservoir into the body.
Unlike some medical devices that depend on electronics, batteries, pumps, or moving mechanical parts, NanoPortal relies on physical design and material engineering to regulate drug release. This simplified approach is intended to provide predictable delivery while minimizing mechanical complexity. The compact design allows the implant to remain small enough for subdermal placement while supporting extended drug delivery periods. Healthcare providers can also remove the implant when appropriate, providing flexibility in treatment management.
The Science Behind Controlled Drug Release
A key feature of NanoPortal technology is its use of nanotube membranes that regulate medication flow at the microscopic level. The system works by controlling how drug molecules pass through nanoscale openings within the implant structure. By carefully designing these pathways, engineers can influence the rate at which medication leaves the reservoir.
This approach allows Vivani to tailor implant characteristics according to the properties of specific therapeutic compounds. Different medicines may require different release rates, treatment durations, or reservoir capacities. One notable aspect of the technology is its potential ability to support large molecules such as peptides and proteins. This capability is particularly relevant because many modern therapies for obesity and diabetes belong to these categories. The company continues to evaluate the technology through ongoing development and clinical programs.
Product Development Programs
Vivani Medical is developing multiple investigational products based on its NanoPortal platform. Among the company’s lead programs is NPM-139, a semaglutide implant under development for chronic weight management. Semaglutide belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class of medicines, which has become an important area of treatment for obesity and related metabolic conditions.
Vivani is also developing NPM-133, another semaglutide-based implant intended for people living with type 2 diabetes. The program focuses on long-duration delivery of semaglutide through the company’s implant platform. In addition, the company is advancing NPM-115, an exenatide implant being evaluated as part of its obesity and weight management development efforts. These programs remain under clinical and preclinical development, and none have received approval for commercial use.
Advancing Through Clinical Development
Clinical testing plays a critical role in evaluating the safety and performance of new medical technologies. Vivani Medical reached an important milestone when it advanced NanoPortal technology into human clinical evaluation. The company’s LIBERATE-1 study became the first human trial involving its implant platform.
The study evaluates NPM-115, the investigational exenatide implant, and focuses on assessing safety, tolerability, and other clinical measures. The trial represents a significant step in the company’s efforts to gather data on long-duration implant-based drug delivery. Before initiating the study, Vivani received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its investigational new drug application supporting clinical evaluation of the implant technology. The company has also announced plans to continue advancing its semaglutide-based programs through additional stages of development. As with all clinical-stage biotechnology companies, future progress will depend on the outcomes of ongoing and planned studies.
Funding and Financial Support
Developing innovative healthcare technologies requires substantial financial resources, particularly during clinical development. Vivani Medical has completed several financing transactions to support its research and operational activities. In March 2025, the company announced an $8.25 million private placement financing intended to support development programs and strengthen its financial position.
The company also announced a $5 million equity financing in November 2024 and secured additional financing during 2025. These transactions provide funding for research, clinical studies, regulatory activities, and operational needs as Vivani continues to advance its technology platform.
Adam Mendelsohn and the Development of NanoPortal
A central figure in Vivani Medical’s history is Dr. Adam Mendelsohn, the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Director. Dr. Mendelsohn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from UCLA in 2003. He later completed a Ph.D. in Bioengineering through the joint graduate program of the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of California, Berkeley.
During his academic career, he conducted research in biomedical engineering and received a National Science Foundation fellowship that supported research activities at Kyoto University.
Before Vivani Medical was established, Dr. Mendelsohn founded Nano Precision Medical, the company that developed NanoPortal technology. He led the organization for several years and helped guide the development of its implant platform from concept through early-stage development. Following the business combination that created Vivani Medical in 2022, he became Chief Executive Officer of the combined company. His background in engineering, medical technology, and company building has played an important role in the advancement of NanoPortal and the company’s broader development strategy.
The 2022 Merger That Created Vivani Medical
An important milestone in the company’s history occurred in August 2022 when Nano Precision Medical and Second Sight Medical Products completed a business combination. The transaction resulted in the formation of Vivani Medical and provided a public company structure for the continued development of NanoPortal technology. The merger brought together Nano Precision Medical’s drug delivery platform with the resources and public market presence of Second Sight Medical Products. Following the transaction, Vivani continued focusing on implant-based therapies for chronic disease management. The combination marked a significant transition from a privately held technology developer to a publicly traded clinical-stage biotechnology company.
As healthcare providers continue searching for ways to improve long-term treatment management, drug delivery technologies remain an active area of innovation. Vivani Medical’s NanoPortal platform represents one approach to addressing the challenges associated with chronic disease treatment. Through miniature implant technology and controlled drug release, the company is developing investigational products intended to provide long-duration medication delivery. The company’s ongoing clinical and development programs will determine how NanoPortal technology progresses in the years ahead.
For now, Vivani Medical remains focused on advancing research, evaluating its implant platform, and exploring new possibilities for long-term drug delivery. In a healthcare environment increasingly focused on patient experience and treatment consistency, technologies that simplify medication administration continue to attract attention. Through its work in implant-based drug delivery, Vivani Medical is contributing to that evolving conversation while pursuing new approaches to chronic disease management.
