Enabling large-volume/high-dose subcutaneous autoinjections

Summary

The shift of higher-dose therapies from intravenous to subcutaneous administration is opening new possibilities for self-injection, including in areas such as oncology. This article examines how cartridge-based autoinjector technologies could support this transition and the role of SHL Medical’s Needle Isolation Technology (NIT) in bringing larger-volume drug delivery into a handheld format. It also considers the technical and clinical questions that become more important as injection volumes increase, including the interplay between volume, viscosity, injection time, and injection depth.

Key takeaways

• Cartridge properties such as baked siliconization, the absence of tungsten, and limited drug-contact materials may become increasingly relevant for sensitive biologics as drug volumes and concentrations increase.  
• NIT enables cartridges to be used in a simple 2-step autoinjector without manual needle attachment while keeping the needle hidden from the user. 
• Bioburden testing during NIT validation found no evidence of microbial growth, providing evidence of contaminant-free dose delivery. 
• Maggie, which has since evolved into Magnitude, extended the cartridge-based autoinjector approach to a 5.0 mL delivery volume. 
• Further clinical investigation is needed to understand the effects of injection time, volume, viscosity, and injection depth as delivery volumes increase. 

Document details

• Format: Article
• Author/Spokesperson: Michael McGowan, Senior Director of Market Intelligence, SHL Medical
• Page count: 4 pages
• Estimated read time: ~8–9 minutes