Auto Injectors, From Planning To Launch: Preparing For The Overall Development Process

By Patty Sa, SHL Group

Looking at the rising trend towards self-administration therapies, injectable drug delivery devices such as pen injectors, autoinjectors and needle free injectors show a significant growth potential in the near future.

In 2010, the pen systems and autoinjectors market was estimated to be worth over $0.58bn, a growth of 8-10% from previous years. It is estimated that the market will continue to grow steadily between 10-15% over the forecast period. It will reach $0.87bn in 2013 and $1.07bn in 2015. (Visiongain, June, 2011)

Driven by the corresponding industry demands, biopharmaceutical companies have since introduced a large range of solutions for delivery of injectable drugs and continue to push for improvements in every aspect. In fact, industry analysts have estimated that over 30% of all new product submissions to the FDA are combination products (Richter, 2011). Of these, the autoinjector is one of the fastest emerging drug delivery solutions that enhance patient experience and compliance by allowing them to safely self-administer medications at home. Aside from patient benefits, the resulting reduced number of clinic visits can help lower cost for health authorities by removing burden on nurses/Healthcare Providers (HCPs) to deliver face to face treatments. The various ergonomic designs and safety mechanisms built into the autoinjector also help address patient dexterity concerns and minimize the possibility of needle-stick injuries for HCPs assisting with the delivery.