Recombinant Drugs And The Economics Of Prefilled Syringes

Main Category: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Also Included In: Pharmacy / Pharmacist;  Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 11 Aug 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The administration of therapeutic drugs via injection is an indispensable delivery method for numerous drugs critical to patient health and well-being. Now this segment is evolving in response to changing patient populations, new classes of powerful therapeutic drugs, and healthcare administration initiatives. Population demographics and efforts by managed care providers to control healthcare costs are driving the growth in drug self-administration, particularly for chronic conditions, introducing a new class of naïve users to parenteral 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.

Improved patient compliance, efficient delivery of high-priced biologicals, and patient & caregiver safety are key market drivers in this sector. The cost of biologicals such as recombinant proteins has created interest in prefilled syringes to reduce cost and waste associated with the handling and overfilling of vial-packaged drugs. Partnerships between device designers and drug developers are an essential element in the success of prefilled devices, particularly for patient self-administration.

Leading prefilled syringe applications include chronic diseases such as diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and hormone replacement. Other growth segments include reproductive health and the administration of antivirals, as well as wellness programs and vaccine administration.

These findings are contained in a new and comprehensive report: Prefilled Syringes: Drugs, Devices and Disease Therapeutics.

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