Injection Devices
DEVELOPMENT TIMELINES - Drug Development Times, What it Takes - Part 1
Josef Bossart, PhD, explains how accurately estimating a product’s clinical development timelines is more than simply adding up the individual timelines, almost always optimistic. You need to “know” the numbers, not just calculate them.
Zai Lab & Novocure Announce First Patient Enrolled in a Phase 2 Pilot Trial
Zai Lab Limited and Novocure recently announced the first patient has been enrolled in a Phase 2 pilot clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy…
Patent Filed for Nitric Oxide Delivery Device That is Comparable to Inhalers
Nu-Med Plus, Inc., a medical device development company, recently announced that a patent has been filed for a nitric oxide delivery device that is designed for…..
Beta Bionics Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation
Beta Bionics, Inc. recently announced it has received Breakthrough Device designation from the US FDA for its investigational iLet Bionic Pancreas System. The iLet Bionic…
LEO Pharma and Portal Instruments Announce Collaboration to Develop Needle-Free Drug Delivery Device
LEO Pharma A/S and Portal Instruments recently announced a global collaboration and license agreement to develop Portal’s innovative needle-free drug delivery system for use in combination with….
2020 COMPANY PROFILES & CAPABILITIES
For each participating company, this section presents a detailed summary highlighting their core technologies, capabilities, technologies, and services.
PREFILLED SYRINGES - Selecting the Right Primary Container for Injectables in Acute Care
Alfred Harvey, MBA, MS, discusses how differences in primary container options for injectable drugs can add value by offering hospitals and care centers configurations that address universal pain points.
Hovione Technology Completes Pilot-Scale Blister Manufacturing for the Papillon DPI
Hovione Technology recently announced it has completed pilot-scale blister manufacturing and filling for its new reusable blister-based dry powder inhaler, the Papillon DPI. Papillon targets…
Vetter’s US Site Offers Clinical Manufacturing for Successful Drug Development of Injectables
Pharma and biotech companies, both large and small, have high expectations for their new molecules they have in development. Even the smallest of details can impact the eventual success or failure of their product…..
Aptar Acquires Noble International, a Leader in Drug Delivery Training Devices & Patient Onboarding
AptarGroup, Inc. recently announced it has acquired Noble International, a leader in drug delivery training devices and patient onboarding. This acquisition furthers Aptar’s strategy to broaden……
Sustainability is Everyone’s Obligation
Acting with social responsibility is far more than the very important role of environment protection, it also includes overall sustainability and acting in a manner that…..
BD Launches Two-Step Disposable Autoinjector
BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) recently announced the launch of the BD Intevia 1 mL two-step disposable autoinjector, a robust platform device combining autoinjector and…
Credence MedSystems Awarded Gates Foundation Grant to Develop Dual Chamber Drug Delivery Device
Credence MedSystems, an innovator in injectable drug delivery technology for the biopharmaceutical industry, recently announced it has been awarded a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the…..
Increased Security for Connected Medical Devices to Drive Cybersecurity Market to $143 Billion
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a safety communication regarding a set of 11 cybersecurity vulnerabilities, referred to as the URGENT/11, which could…
Stevanato Group Signs License Exclusive Agreement With Haselmeier
Stevanato Group, an Italy-based producer of glass primary packaging and global leader in providing integrated capabilities and solutions for combination products, and Haselmeier, a Switzerland…
Bormioli Pharma Completes Acquisition of Remy & Geiser
Bormioli Pharma S.p.A. recently announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Remy & Geiser GmbH (R&G), a German company active in the business of…
Gerresheimer Opens US Glass Innovation & Technology Center
Gerresheimer is driving innovation in pharmaceutical glass, primary packaging glass products, technologies, and digitized processes. In the future, highly qualified engineers at the recently opened Gx Glass Innovation and Technology Center will develop….
VivaLNK Delivers Continuomics Using Wearable Medical Sensors
VivaLNK, a leading provider of connected healthcare solutions, is improving clinical trials with continuomics by using wearable medical sensors for….
COMBINATION PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - New Horizons in Development to Meet Emerging Demands
Ed Trappler and John A. Merhige, MEM, believe it is no longer sufficient to put a product in a vial, and the future of healthcare products places increasing demands on the industry to provide innovations for delivering combination products.
ON-BODY DELIVERY SYSTEMS - Analysis & Simulation of Injection Volume Accuracy
Christian Riva, MS, presents a case study proving it is possible to have a realistic prediction of the injection volume accuracy of a drug delivery system, even in an early stage of product development, when only a high-level product architecture is available.
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.