SHL Medical and Bayer: A collaborative approach to advancing intravitreal pediatric dosing

Summary

This article highlights the collaborative development between SHL Medical and Bayer to advance precision dosing for paediatric intravitreal treatment. Building on SHL Medical’s Micro Dosing Device (MDD) technology, Picleo® was developed to enable accurate, repeatable delivery of the 10 µL dose of EYLEA® (aflibercept) used to treat retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm infants. The collaboration addresses a critical challenge in neonatal care, where even small variations in dose volume can have significant consequences. By combining Bayer’s pharmaceutical expertise with SHL Medical’s drug delivery and device engineering capabilities, the partnership demonstrates how purpose-built delivery technology can help the precise delivery of therapy for highly vulnerable patients without changing the established clinical workflow.  

Key takeaways

• Developed through a close collaboration between SHL Medical and Bayer, combining pharmaceutical and drug delivery expertise. 
• Picleo® is based on SHL Medical’s Micro Dosing Device (MDD) technology and is designed specifically for paediatric intravitreal dosing. 
• Enables accurate, repeatable delivery of a fixed 10 µL dose of EYLEA® (aflibercept) for the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity. 
• Addresses the inherent variability of conventional syringes when delivering microlitre-scale doses, helping reduce user-dependent dosing variation. 
• Comparative testing demonstrated substantially improved dosing repeatability with the MDD. 
• Designed to integrate into the established intravitreal injection workflow, supporting clinical practicality without fundamentally changing the procedure. 
• Human factors and formative usability testing with experienced ophthalmologists demonstrated that the Picleo® system and instructions were comprehensible, acceptable, and suitable for the intended use. 
• The development reflects SHL Medical’s broader capability to apply precision drug delivery technology beyond traditional self-injection into specialised therapeutic areas. 

Document details

• Format: Article
• Authors/Spokespeople: 
  Seda Aksel, PhD, Product Manager, SHL Medical 
  Samuel Wyler, Product Development Program Manager, SHL Medical 
  Andreas Kalitzki, Device Design Expert, Bayer AG 
• Page count: 6 pages
• Estimated read time: ~14–15 minutes