Injection Devices
Gelest Shareholders Close Sale to Mitsubishi Chemical
Gelest recently announced it has completed the sale of Gelest Intermediate Holdings to Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc., the US subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation. Gelest…
Proveris Scientific Research Collaboration: New Generation Technologies for Improved Measurement of Pharmaceutical Aerosols
Proveris Scientific Corporation recently announced its research collaboration with The University of Sydney and Macquarie University on a project to develop a new generation of technologies for improving….
Schott AG & Credence MedSystems Form Strategic Collaboration Agreement
Credence MedSystems and SCHOTT AG have recently formed a collaboration for the application of Credence Companion technology with SCHOTT’s prefillable syriQ glass and SCHOTT TOPPAC polymer syringe systems…..
DRUG DELIVERY - Recognizing the Patient Potential for Transdermal Drug Delivery
Sally Waterman, PhD, and Vasiliki Nikolaou, PhD, explain how transdermal drug delivery patches have the potential to significantly improve not only the outcome of treatments, but also the quality of life for those patients using them.
DEVICE DEVELOPMENT - Designing Devices for Inhaled Drugs
Andreas Meliniotis explains how there is plenty of opportunity for the development of new, improved devices to ensure inhaled drugs can be accessible for a wide range of patients and can treat various diseases and conditions effectively.
CUSTOM DEVICE SOLUTIONS - Device Design Will Act as Competitive Distinguisher in a Post-Patent Expiry Biosimilar Market
George I’ons dissects the different factors that will determine biosimilars’ adoption and pace of advancement against their original counterparts, namely clinical confidence in the biosimilar and patient confidence in the drug delivery device.
Stevanato Group Launches US Technology Excellence Center in Boston
Italian-based Stevanato Group, a leading producer of pharmaceutical glass containers and provider of integrated capabilities for drug delivery systems, has officially inaugurated its….
Gerresheimer Enters Development & Production Agreement With Boehringer Ingelheim
Gerresheimer has recently been commissioned by Boehringer Ingelheim with the development and large series production of the housing module for the new generation of….
Gerresheimer Announces New Laboratory & Regulatory Services for Biotech Customers
Gerresheimer recently announced it has added essential laboratory and regulatory services to its broad portfolio of products, solutions, and services for biotech companies. Specialized laboratory…
Vectura Partners With Monash University to Support Development of Inhaled Oxytocin to Prevent Postpartum Haemorrhage
Vectura Group plc recently announced it has signed an agreement with Monash University’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) to develop inhaled oxytocin delivered via a….
Evonik Qualifies Advanced Aseptic Filling Line for Complex Parenteral Drug Products
Evonik recently announced the qualification of an advanced aseptic filling line for complex parenteral drug products at its FDA-inspected Birmingham….
Alimera Sciences Announces Enrollment of First Patient in Landmark NEW DAY Clinical Trial
Alimera Sciences, Inc. recently announced it has enrolled the first patient in the company’s NEW DAY clinical trial, a randomized, controlled, multi-center study designed to…
LSNE-León Receives Approval From AEMPS to Manufacture Biotechnology-Based Therapeutic Products
LSNE Contract Manufacturing recently announced that the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) has approved the manufacturing of clinical-stage biotechnology-based therapeutic products at…
Catalent Biologics Invests $50 Million to Add Third High-Speed Vial Line
Catalent recently announced it is investing $50 million to install an additional high-speed vial filling line at its Bloomington, IN, facility. The new line is…
Micron Biomedical Progresses With Clinical Evaluation of its Technology for Measles-Rubella Vaccination
Micron Biomedical, Inc. (Micron) recently received a second tranche of funding ($2.6 million) to continue clinical development of its microneedle-based technology for measles and rubella…
SPECIAL FEATURE - Injection Devices: Will COVID-19 Deliver Growth to the Market?
Contributor Cindy H. Dubin interviews several leading companies and highlights trends in autoinjectors, pen injectors, wearable devices and connectivity, and prefilled syringes.
DEVICE DEVELOPMENT - Mapping the Regulatory Strategy to Better Navigate Electronic Drug Delivery Device Development for Patient Safety & Security
Ahmed Mallek, Hadrien Gremillet, and Audrey Chandra say that along with technology advancement in the medical industry, the behaviors and needs of different stakeholders also evolve, resulting in a clear interest in electronic drug delivery devices for a variety of reasons.
COMBINATION PRODUCTS - Development Challenges & Solutions
Tom McLean says combination drug development pipelines continue to rapidly expand and diversify with differentiated molecules and formulations, which can call for nuanced as well as significant packaging and delivery system requirements.
EDAP Announces Approval for Phase 2 Study
EDAP TMS SA recently announced it has received approval from French health authorities to initiate a Phase 2 multicenter clinical trial evaluating its Focal One…
Eyenovia & Arctic Vision Announce Exclusive Collaboration & License Agreement
Eyenovia, Inc. and Arctic Vision recently announced they have entered into an exclusive license agreement for Arctic Vision to develop and commercialize MicroPine for the…
What are Injection Devices?
Drug delivery devices are the physical agents that are included in the drug delivery system. There are a multitude of devices that people interact with every day which fall under this category. In modern pharmaceuticals, novel drug delivery devices and combination products are being designed for a number of reasons, including giving patients the ability to self-administer some medications at home, which can help them adhere to recommended regimens.
Evolution of Injection Devices
With modern technology and medicine, the combination product market is evolving. Any combination device, especially drug device combination devices, must follow strict guidelines. Thanks to advancements in engineering, an increasing number of drug delivery devices are being developed as electromechanical devices linked to apps in order to provide patients with more supervision when administering medications at home. Some of these medical apps may receive feedback from the device to track how much drug is being administered and how often, provide patients with dosing reminders and connect clinicians with this information so they can monitor patient compliance. The drug delivery devices that so many patients depend on must adhere to regulatory standards. There are strict guidelines for all methods of drug delivery, such as needle-based, aerosol, and needle-free injectors.
Smart devices, interconnectivity, and related technology provide real-time data to healthcare providers for analysis, but these device additions should not increase risks, including patient understanding of treatment delivery, or jeopardize compliance. Data collection needs to be “passive” to the patient. In other words, invisible to the patient’s use of the device so that the collected data provides a true benefit to the end user. If these design considerations can be implemented without impacting the patient or how they administer and receive treatment, then smart devices can provide advantages to the patient and the industry.
Injection Device Global Market Trends
The global injectable drug delivery devices market is expected to show significant growth in the coming years as manufacturers introduce technological advancements and product innovation meant to improve convenience, compliance, and ease of administration of parenterals. Additionally, the increasing preference for at-home self-injection is driving the market as patients prefer to continue to avoid healthcare settings post-COVID. With all of this taken into account, one market study predicts the global market to reach almost $26 billion by 2025, up from $15 billion in 2020. However, another report values the global market at $42.76 billion in 2021 and expects it to reach $50.9 billion in 2025.
How the numbers will play out is yet to be determined, but the studies do highlight the focus on single-use and reusable systems. Disposable-use prefilled syringes (PFS) are increasingly used due to the prevalence of chronic diseases and the growing number of biologics best delivered by syringes. Single-use autoinjectors are also poised to experience increased demand, particularly with the growing pervasiveness of anaphylaxis disorders. Autoinjectors also provide a convenient alternative to manual syringe injections for subcutaneous administration.
Reusable Injection Devices
Pen injectors with prefilled cartridges have also proven to be a viable alternative to syringes. These injectors can perform hundreds of injections, with patients controlling the speed of delivery to minimize pain or discomfort during use.
Making injection devices partially reusable is a cost-saving strategy. Ideally, the device’s mechanism and/or electronics are the reusable parts of the system – as these are often the costliest – and the drug containers and needle are one-time use.
Another cost-saving strategy that several large pharmaceutical companies are deploying is to develop a device platform for multiple drug products in their portfolio. This allows them to spend resources on a single significant development program, for one optimal injection device, which then requires minimal customization for each sub-sequent product line.
Despite efforts to make better, safer, simpler injection devices, patient adherence is still a challenge associated with self-administration. This has resulted in the emergence of smart devices, such as wearable injectors, which share patient data with healthcare providers to ensure compliance. And while it is expected this sector will continue to grow, some industry insiders warn against making these devices too intrusive.