Drug delivery
they can be reassured that they are connected to the app and have been compliant.”
On-body systems deliver drugs to treat the likes of diabetes, psoriatic arthritis as well as rheumatoid arthritis.
public health and poor adherence to therapy has been associated with poor health outcomes and higher costs for patients”, adding that, “In particular, geriatric and paediatric populations as well as dermatological patients have special needs and preferences that should be considered when designing drug products.”
As such, pharma companies are focused on designing injectables that will both appeal to patients and – more importantly – will keep them safe, compliant and adherent. The preeminent way to ensure this adherence has been through connected healthcare. In its 2021 Global Healthcare Outlook Report, Deloitte stated that deploying new digital tools and services has the potential to improve medication adherence, help consumers to track and monitor their health and improve overall performance among professionals. In order to achieve this objective, patients must increasingly be encouraged to use trackers, monitors and other tools.
“Patients are effectively afraid of medication, but by using a connected health app, they can be reassured that they are connected to the app and have been compliant.”
Taking control
One of the main areas in which patients will be encouraged to engage more actively in their own health management is through controlled drug- delivery systems, and Neadle has observed the push to give patients more control here. “We’re increasingly witnessing the use of connected health,” says Neadle. “People aren’t just using injectables, but are actually tracking progress and compliance. Patients are effectively afraid of medication, but by using a connected health app,
12
The increased use of self-administered injection devices grows incrementally with the need to make them more customer oriented. With consumer products, the choice is driven by product desirability and so it is with choices of an injectable. Factors such as the style, the form of delivery and even the colour, combined with ease-of-use considerations, are specifically geared to appeal to the end user – the patient. In this respect though, patient opinions are not monolithic. In a recent market research study by DALI, for example, participants were questioned as to whether they preferred autoinjectors or prefilled syringes. Results showed that patients preferred to control the speed of their injection – and the ease of use – with autoinjectors. Others surveyed indicated that they would prefer the ease of use of the autoinjector, with the pain level similar to prefilled syringes. The result? Single-use, disposable, automatic needle-insertion devices, with solutions for drugs in plastic or luer-lock syringes, prefilled syringes with staked needles, or vials. “While the potency and efficacy of the drug substances itself are vital to patient adherence and compliance, patients’ expectations are now driving the need to further improve the patient friendliness of the product,” says Neadle.
In terms of real-world applications for connected healthcare, diabetes continues to be a strong focus, with companies like Novo Nordisk in Denmark trialling products that combine drug-delivery with apps that specify dosages to alleviate the fear of injecting too much or too little insulin. The company reported positive results from its phase 3a ONWARDS 5 trial at the start of October, concluding that once- weekly insulin icodec used in combination with a dosing guide app to control titration achieved a superior reduction in estimated HbA1c of -1.68%, compared with -1.31% for the once-daily basal insulins – an estimated treatment difference of 0.38%. Earlier this year, the FDA approved t:connect, an app created by Tandem Diabetes Care to be used in combination with its t:slim X2 insulin pump to programme dosages and monitor blood sugar levels. While diabetes management may be leading the charge right now, Neadle sees patient-centric design continuing to influence products across the spectrum of diseases managed through combination products. “When it comes down to it, everything to do with injectables is to do with the human interface. You can have the best drug in the world, but if it’s compromising safe usage for patients [then it is not viable],” she says. “Device designers have to take a user-centric approach, which ultimately minimises user-related risks and also improves user adherence and persistence.” ●
World Pharmaceutical Frontiers /
www.worldpharmaceuticals.net
Andrey_Popov/
www.shutterstock.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
