For a number of technical, economic and strategic reasons, needle-free injection (NFI) remains a niche technology where commercial success continues to be elusive. The pure play drug delivery firms that have attempted to follow a technology-based business model have faired poorly, in large part due to intense competition from competing injection devices such as pen injectors and autoinjectors that stole much of NFI’s perceived advantage. These companies have been acquired, diversified into more commercially viable delivery platforms, and/or been forced to repeatedly restructure and reduce staff to survive. A younger group of companies, mostly private firms that seek to develop NFI products strategically using a product-based model, are faring better. They seek to develop drug-device combination products based on NFI through the clinical trial process. In terms of look and feel, these bundled devices mimic many of the pen and autoinjector achievements, and provide product differentiation that has become critical in the direct-to-consumer marketing era. While light-weight and ergonomic designs that represent the new generation in NFI improve the chances of technology-based NFI business models succeeding commercially, the product model is here to stay.

Publication Date: June 2008