Biologics boost for $2.7bn needle-free delivery market
The “Drug Delivery Markets” report revealed that while most new biologics currently being development are administered via injection, drugmakers are increasingly seeking out more patient-friendly delivery solutions.
Lead author Mary Ann Crandall goes on to list some of the benefits these efforts can provide, explaining that: “Needle-free injection has been shown to reduce needlestick injuries, increase compliance and eliminate the need for disposal.”
“Delivery is considered critical to the marketing strategy of drugs,” adds Crandall, suggesting that the needle-free approach that is commonplace in the insulin market is beginning to be applied to developmental vaccines and protein-based medications.
Needle-free injection uses a variety of mechanisms to deliver drugs through a patient’s skin, ranging from relatively simple metal springs to more complex compressed air and CO2 gas “injector” systems.
Although more than a dozen systems are already on the market, with Bioject’s VitaJet and Biojector 2000 being two of the most widely know, Kalorama’s research suggests that there is still room for others.
Israeli drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ new Tjet system provides further supports this idea.
The device, which was launched in August and was developed in collaboration with Antares Pharma, is used for the delivery of Teva’s human growth hormone protein drug Tev-Tropin.
Speaking at the time Antares CFO Robert Apple said that Tjet provides “a convenient, more user-friendly format” than syringes and stressed that it is particularly suitable for drugs like Tev-Tropin which are most commonly used to treat children.
