Posted: 23rd April 2025
RMIT University announced a significant milestone in the commercialisation of its innovative gas-sensing capsule technology. The university transferred all patents and associated intellectual property (IP) related to the Atmo Gas Capsule to Atmo Biosciences, a leading medical device company, in exchange for an equity stake.
The Atmo Gas Capsule, originally developed through groundbreaking research at RMIT, was an ingestible device that provided real-time insights into gut health by measuring gaseous biomarkers directly at the source of production throughout the gut. These biomarkers were crucial for diagnosing common motility disorders such as gastroparesis and slow transit constipation, which affected two in five people globally.
Since licensing the technology in 2018, Atmo Biosciences advanced the capsule from concept to clinical reality. The company developed, manufactured, and trialled the device, creating a market-ready solution for diagnosing gastrointestinal disorders. The recent transfer of IP ownership marked a pivotal step as Atmo sought regulatory clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Mal Hebblewhite, CEO of Atmo Biosciences, emphasized the strategic importance of this agreement. “Having RMIT as a strategic shareholder reinforced our shared commitment to bringing this innovative technology to market,” he said. “Full ownership of our core IP further strengthened Atmo’s position as we advanced toward regulatory clearance and commercialisation, ensuring long-term value for our company and the patients we aimed to serve.”
The Atmo Gas Capsule demonstrated its potential in various clinical trials, including a pivotal study involving over 200 subjects across 12 trial sites in the US and Australia. The device showed efficacy in diagnosing gastrointestinal disorders and assessing the impact of dietary and pharmacological interventions.
Professor Calum Drummond, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation at RMIT, highlighted the importance of the partnership. “This agreement exemplified our mission to translate academic research to benefit society. We were particularly proud that several of our students and early career researchers played instrumental roles in developing this technology at RMIT and continued to contribute as co-founders at Atmo Biosciences.”
The transfer of IP to Atmo Biosciences marked a significant step forward in the journey to bring this innovative technology to market, promising improved diagnostic capabilities for gastrointestinal disorders and better patient outcomes.
