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LOEWE's new focus area "MultiDrug-TDM" aims to revolutionize bedside drug administration
Darmstadt. Researchers at TU Darmstadt and Goethe University Frankfurt fundamentally improve the treatment of children with cancer using an innovative sensor system. The new LOEWE research focus "MultiDrug-TDM" €4.3 million for four years, starting in January 2026. The goal is a portable device for the real-time measurement of drug effects – directly at the patient's bedside.
Standard therapies for children with cancer often reach their limits because they do not adequately account for individual metabolic differences. The planned system aims to close this gap: Using precise sensors and intelligent data processing, doctors can personalize medication dosages – even during the doctor's visit.
Paradigm shift in pediatric oncology
The core of the project is a novel point-of-care sensor that analyzes minimal blood samples and determines the drug levels of vital medications. Until now, samples had to be sent to specialized laboratories – a time-consuming practice that makes rapid dose adjustments impossible. MultiDrug-TDM promises faster, safer, and more effective therapy that will significantly reduce the workload for medical staff.
Prof. Torsten Frosch , head of the Biophotonics – Medical Technology department at TU Darmstadt, emphasizes the importance of the interdisciplinary approach: “We can only achieve real progress through collaboration. Only when technology and medicine work hand in hand can the complex challenges be solved.”
Research with an impact beyond Hesse
Seven departments at TU Darmstadt are collaborating with Goethe University Frankfurt – a strong alliance of engineering, biophotonics, AI-supported signal processing, and clinical medicine . In the future, the project could lead to a Collaborative Research Center on the topic of "Intelligent Biosensors".
TU President Tanja Brühl also sees great potential: “MultiDrug-TDM is already the third LOEWE research focus at our university. The funding shows how relevant interdisciplinary research is for societal progress – especially in the field of personalized medicine.”
Background: LOEWE funding
The state initiative for the development of scientific and economic excellence (LOEWE) supports strategically important research projects in Hesse. LOEWE projects are usually collaborative projects involving several universities and aim to create internationally visible research profiles in the long term.
Further information:
www.tu-darmstadt.de
(Darmstadt - Red/Tud)
