Upsizing autoinjectors for new treatments to enable patient independence
In the latest issue of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Packing Sourcer, published ahead of the 2023 PDA Universe of Pre-filled Syringes and Injection Devices, SHL Medical’s Gary Calderwood explores how autoinjector innovations may offer newfound independence for patients requiring higher subcutaneous (SC) injection doses.
Autoinjectors have revolutionized the treatment of various conditions, offering safe and straightforward at-home subcutaneous self-injections. However, existing combination products with pre-filled syringes and staked needles have limited fill volumes, putting autoinjectors out of reach for patients with conditions requiring higher injection doses, such as in oncology and in other disease areas.
Fortunately, recent advances in autoinjector design are finally making higher-dose at-home SC injections possible. The article details two of these key developments. The first is the use of cartridges as the primary container, which is better suited to carrying larger volumes of sensitive biologics. The second is SHL’s Needle Isolation Technology (NIT®) cannula unit, which eliminates the need for users to manually attach the needle—a potentially dangerous, user-hostile step required by traditional cartridge-based devices. As highlighted by the development of the Maggie® 5.0 autoinjector, combining cartridges with NIT yields an autoinjector as safe and simple as conventional autoinjectors but with the game-changing capacity for larger fill volumes, potentially ushering in a new era of patient-friendly treatment options.
Read the article and learn how SHL Medical is advancing the industry knowledge of autoinjectors to fully enable large-volume/high-dose SC drug delivery.
