Injectable Drug Delivery           Inhaled Drug Delivery          Transdermal Drug Delivery             Specialty Drug Delivery

User-friendly syringe and injection device designs and the availability of an increasing number of drugs in pre-filled insertable and disposable cartridges are propelling the growth of prefilled syringes for self-administration. .......more

User-friendly designs and the availability of an increasing number of drugs in pre-filled disposable cartridges and syringes are propelling the growth of injector pens at the expense of other drug delivery methods such as traditional syringes ......more

The ability to formulate injectable drugs to increase the duration of efficacy for a given dose and simultaneously reduce the dosing frequency addresses several important health care issues. Less frequent dosing is believed to improve patient safety, reduce the incidence of injection site complications and improve ....more

Within the injectable segment, the sands are shifting as several factors converge to drive demand for delivery methods that increase safety, compliance and ease-of-use. While the economics of traditional disposable syringe devices remain compelling, a number of companies are combining synthetic materials .....more

...the appearance and refinement of disposable drug cartridges has created unique opportunities for developers of injectable drugs. Prefilled cartridges offer several advantages over traditional packaging in vials. For single dose devices .....more

New materials and innovative designs have led to improved safety syringe products and more competitive price points. Safety syringes will continue to grow at the expense of traditional syringes driven by regulatory initiatives to reduce .........more

The inherent instability of biological drugs is a limitation that has a direct impact on the drug delivery sector. Therapeutic proteins must either be stored under special conditions or formulated to retain their efficacy from the time of manufacture until they are dispensed. Liquid protein drugs require refrigeration until dispensed – a distribution strategy... more

While autoinjectors are sometimes designed to work with a particular injectable product as a form of pharmaceutical branding, the typical autoinjector is designed to fit one or more standard sizes of prefilled disposable syringes. Until recently, autoinjectors were designed to be reused...more

The need to reconstitute lyophilized drugs at the point of administration is driving the growth of dual chamber syringes and injectors – devices that allow reconstitution to take place within ...more

The growing number of injectable drugs that requiring dosing based on metabolic readings or patient-specific treatment protocols is driving the growth of injection devices that allow the patient or caregiver to set the drug dose and vary the dose over time. The current generation  ...more

Infusion is one of the most common therapeutic procedures that patients in a hospital setting are likely to receive. Yet the lack of standardization among the various components, elements and steps that a caregiver must navigate to successfully execute a drug infusion have – according to several recent studies – contributed to medication errors and risks .......more

Advances in drug formulation and inhalation device design are creating new opportunities for inhaled drug delivery as an alternative to oral and parenteral delivery methods. Much of the interest in pulmonary delivery of systemic drug therapies is focused on chronic diseases and refractory conditions that require .......more

The convergence of socioeconomic and technology factors – the growing emphasis on drug self-administration for chronic conditions, the expected acceleration in protein- and peptide-based therapeutics, the availability of innovative dry powder inhalation devices with unique device designs - is driving .......more

Delivering drugs to the central nervous system presents unique challenges. But, drug developers and researchers have discovered that delivering CNS therapeutic drugs via inhalation mitigates several of these issues. The accessibility and vascular structure of the nose make it an attractive route for ......more

Much of the interest in pulmonary delivery of systemic drug therapies is focused on chronic diseases and refractory conditions – aliments that require frequent drug administration for a protracted period of time. The role of device design and development .....more

As life expectancy in the developed world increases and populations age, the incidence and associated morbidity of chronic and acute pain is increasing and placing a higher level of emphasis on pain management as a quality-of-life issue for patients and their families. Responding to this trend, drug developers are increasingly turning to inhalable formulations of  .....more

Advances in synthetic materials and patch design have led to patches that are more esthetically acceptable and that are capable of delivering sustained dosing of active compounds for several days in a smaller package. Patches relying on passive transport mechanisms have been limited in their ability to deliver new classes of drugs, but formulations  .......more

Patch pumps are the convergence of several technologies into a single drug delivery device package. In doing so, this class of devices overcomes a number of shortcomings and limitations, while simplifying the drug administration event at the patient interface. The current generation of patch pumps focuses on  .......more

Current disease trends point to increasing morbidity and mortality associated with CNS ailments in the general population. These trends include the growing incidence of neurological disorders associated with longevity and aging, and significant increases in the number of children diagnosed with autism. Because diseases .......more

Transdermal drug patches offer the advantages of ease of use, painlessness, disposability, control of drug delivery and avoidance of first-pass metabolism by the liver. New patch designs and formulation technologies are expanding the type and number of prescription therapies .......more

Advances in the processing of materials on a micro-scale have led to the development and introduction of devices that employ very small needles – microneedles – that have significant potential in devices for diagnostics, healthcare monitoring and drug delivery by mechanically ........more

Currently approved transdermal pain products include narcotics, NSAIDs, and topical anesthetics. These patches and gels will encounter competition from development-stage transdermal formulations for a number of pain medications presently being marketed in oral or parenteral form. Several of these... more

Transmucosal delivery offers the potential for once daily dosing of oral drugs and avoids the effects of first pass metabolism. On the provider side, the development of alternative methods of drug administration has improved the ability of physicians to manage specific problems. Practitioners now recognize the rapid onset, relative reliability, and the... more

To expand the limits of transdermal drug delivery, developers are employing energy sources such as ultrasound, heat and electrical current to affect active transport through the skin. These techniques can increase the upper molecular size limit dramatically, opening up a host of opportunities for iontophoretic delivery. Iontophoresis devices... more

While the ability of recombinant protein drugs to treat previously refractory conditions continues to generate excitement and investment, the complex structure of these therapeutic substances require special formulation and delivery strategies, creating special challenges for drug developers and their formulation tech ........more

Recent recognition and industry acceptance of the unique therapeutic needs of pediatric patients has led to regulatory activity and development programs that are re-defining this market segment. The result has been a push by developers and formulators emphasizing the creation of formulations engineered ........more

For caregivers and their patients, the therapeutic area that is at the forefront of attempts to mitigate exposure to cytotoxic drugs is clinical oncology, a field that – in spite of promising new drugs based on therapeutic antibodies – continues to rely heavily on antineoplastics, a class that includes ....more

A number of converging factors are giving rise to a new generation of sophisticated, application-specific injection, inhalation and transdermal drug products designed to satisfy caregiver and patient preferences while addressing managed care initiatives and the formulation limitations of new classes of  ....more

Drug Solubility

Because drug molecules must be water soluble to be readily delivered to the cellular membrane while retaining their hydrophobic properties, issues surrounding water insolubility of active compounds have important business and market implications for new drug development. This impact extends beyond ...(more)