Partnering for Progress: Enhancing Patient Adherence Through Autoinjector Access

In the aftermath of the massive cultural shifts triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare community is striving to make treatments more accessible for all patients, particularly those with chronic conditions who require ongoing treatment – cue the need for convenient modes of therapeutic administration. Though it is still vital for contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) to offer flexible delivery modalities, including vials, pre-filled syringes, and autoinjectors, the latter is taking the market by storm.

Autoinjectors are a class of medical devices designed for patients to self-administer a precise dose of medicine; they enclose cartridges or pre-filled syringes that are driven by a spring system.1 Their ease of use improves both medical adherence and the patient experience. As a result, the autoinjector market is slated to reach $1.7 billion by 2028 and projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14% from 2023 to 2028.2

Amidst this exciting shift, it is crucial for drug developers to partner with device manufacturers that will make knowledgeable recommendations on what type of format to use based on the volume and viscosity of their drug, as well as experienced drug product and finished goods providers that can efficiently fill and finish their product in preparation for the patient. These partnerships are an important step toward ensuring that your therapeutic reaches patients in an accessible autoinjector format, improving the chances of a hassle-free treatment in the convenience of their home.

Improving the Patient Experience & Medical Adherence
Autoinjector delivery systems offer benefits for both patient and provider. For example, to maintain healthy blood glucose levels, diabetes patients need a daily dose of insulin or glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1).3 As demand for GLP-1 continues to grow globally – at a CAGR of 20.6% from 2020-2023 – it is a major contributor to the autoinjector boom.4 The convenience of autoinjectors for at-home, daily use is a huge win for diabetes patients and their healthcare providers.

Though autoinjectors have long been used as drug delivery devices to treat diabetes, anaphylactic shock, and autoimmune conditions, they are now expanding into oncology and metabolic disease markets. For patients, they eliminate the need to drive to and from a clinic to receive treatment, reducing travel time and costs. By gaining ownership over their treatment with autoinjectors, patients can feel independent in their long-term care and administer medicine at their convenience. Beyond that, autoinjectors offer reduced needle anxiety, improved needle safety, and dose accuracy with single-use, intuitive technology.2

Autoinjectors are also a strong option for healthcare providers looking to improve medical adherence and patient compliance. Per the World Health Organization, medical adherence refers to, “the degree to which a person’s behavior corresponds with the agreed recommendations from a healthcare provider.”5 To aid this, autoinjectors can offer Bluetooth connectivity and the ability to monitor injection dose history, which ensures that providers can assess patient usage and adherence to their guidance.6 Furthermore, their connectivity allows physicians to check in on patient well-being and recommend visits as needed. If considering whether autoinjectors could improve adherence for your therapeutic, turn to the experts for their insight.

Collaborating to Enhance Expertise and Efficiency
To help drug developers deliver their therapies to patients safely and rapidly, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB), a global CDMO, and SHL Medical (SHL), a leading manufacturer of autoinjectors, formed a partnership that provides sponsors with access to their shared knowledge and experience. SHL offers end-to-end self-injection solutions, from design to development to manufacturing, and offers autoinjectors, pen injectors, and innovative specialty delivery systems to accommodate a range of doses and viscosities. Their device design is based on human factor engineering to improve patient accessibility. SHL provides comprehensive guidance to clients, advising them on what type of autoinjector would be best to leverage based on the indication, route of administration, and volume and viscosity of the drug. They have an exceptionally strong track record for combination product launches.

At FDB, we provide end-to-end manufacturing solutions from drug substance to drug product to finished goods to meet our clients’ dynamic needs. Our streamlined assembly, labeling, and packaging prioritizes timely delivery to clients and has the bandwidth to accommodate vials, pre-filled syringes, and autoinjectors. Thanks to our experience and understanding of the current market, both SHL and FDB recognized the benefits of forming a partnership between a device manufacturer and drug product and finished goods services provider.

First and foremost, our continued affiliation helps establish supply chain reliability in a volatile market. By working together from the early stages of a project and developing an understanding of the client’s volume needs, both SHL and FDB can prepare to accommodate, manufacture, and respond to any potential supply chain challenges. Beyond that, our locations are in close geographic proximity in both the U.S. and Europe. The integration between our companies, including a robust technology transfer of SHL’s products into FDB, helps yield an ideal result for our clients and their patients. SHL has provided guidance and technical support for FDB’s line to ensure precision manufacturing with high-end equipment and provides ongoing support and innovation recommendations. By collaborating with SHL and leveraging their expert insight into their devices, FDB has tailored our processes to assemble functional and accessible autoinjectors. Our finished goods team has the skill and experience to accommodate a full product life cycle. As a result, we’re able to fulfill a critical step in a therapeutic’s path to patient.

Identifying a Solution

Without adept knowledge, selecting the appropriate delivery device for your drug may seem daunting. By opting to work with an experienced device manufacturer and finished goods provider that have a track record of successful collaboration, you are placing your drug product in safe, capable hands en route to the patient. This strategic alignment aids you in choosing a delivery device that bolsters medical adherence and patient autonomy during treatment.

By Enrico Zanetti, Executive Director of Commercial Development, Drug Product and Finished Goods, Cristina Brinkmann, Drug Product and Finished Goods Business Steering Group Lead, and Francisco Gonzalez, Associate Director of Strategic Technical Marketing

See more from FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies