Eliminating Needles Is a New Priority for Drug Developers

A recent convergence of synthetic materials and computerized design software will propel the market for needle-free drug delivery systems, according to new market research.

According to Kalorama Information (New York, NY, USA), a healthcare market research firm, in the United States alone, more than a dozen needle-free jet injectors have been licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are on the market. Most of these needle-free jet injectors use metal springs, compressed air, or carbon dioxide (CO2) gas to power the injection. The device's nozzle is held against the patient's skin, and once activated, injects a fine stream of the drug into the skin at a high pressure. Some examples include the Biojector 2000 needle free injection system, a product of Bioject (Tualatin, OR, USA), a durable, professional-grade injection cleared by the FDA to deliver intramuscular injections. The system can also deliver subcutaneous injections, and is being used for intradermal injections in clinical trials.

Another example is a recently announced needle-free injector system called Tjet, used to administer the growth hormone product Tev-Tropin to children, which was developed jointly by Antares Pharma (Ewing, NJ, USA) and Teva Pharmaceuticals (Petah Tikva, Israel).

"Delivery is considered crucial to the marketing strategy of drugs. Needle-free has been a part of insulin marketing for some time and now we are also seeing it with vaccines and protein treatments," said Mary Ann Crandall, Kalorama Information's drug delivery analyst. "Three-fourths of biopharmaceuticals cannot be delivered orally. Using a needle-free injection has been shown to reduce needlestick injuries, increase compliance and eliminate the need for disposal, all advantages that will help sales."

Kalorama Information contends that this trend has helped fuel a US$2.7 billon dollar market for pharmaceutical products combined with needle-free technology, and projects a 9.7% annual growth rate of the market over the next five years.

Related Links:
Kalorama Information
Bioject
Antares Pharma
Teva Pharmaceuticals