Focus on Drug-Device Therapies to Expand the Needle-Free Injection Products Market

Tuesday 28 January 2014, Amsterdam

A new report notes the pursuit of drug-device combinations by pharmaceutical and medical device companies will expand the market for needle-free injection systems. In an increasingly competitive market, drug-device combinations are important for pharma companies to provide product differentiation, not only for the delivery of new drugs, but also to extend the patent life of drugs. Demand from patients and medical staff for safer drug delivery, reducing risk of needlestick injuries, also stimulates the market for needle-free injectors and related systems.

Medical Device Leader Series: Top Needle-Free Injection Device Manufacturers 2014-2024, published in November 2013, reviews and analyses needle-free portfolios and R&D pipelines of 14 leading companies. That study also forecasts revenues for the overall world market for those drug delivery technologies.

Eight of the top 14 companies in that market are based in the US - the highest representation for any country - where there are currently more than a dozen needle-free injection systems approved by the FDA and on the market. Those companies include Antares Pharma, Zogenix and PharmaJet. In 2012, Zogenix was the market leader.

The market is in a phase of transition from the use of hypodermic needles to widespread application of needle-free systems in hospitals and healthcare clinics around the world. So there is potential for that market to grow, especially in developing countries, where there’s a high incidence of infectious diseases (often arising from the reuse of disposed needles or inefficient disposing of needles).

Hemant Mistry, a pharmaceutical industry analyst, said: “In response to regulations on practices in the healthcare work environment - symbolised by a number of countries adopting legislation that recommends the use of needle-free systems ahead of conventional needles - the market for needle-free devices is primed for sales growth. Also, technological advances in that field have caused the introduction of more-patient-orientated devices to work with existing drug formulations.

“Furthermore, in anticipation of the launch of new drugs with large molecular structures - more than half of which cannot be delivered orally - there is increased demand for sophisticated, customisable delivery systems. Those technologies allow more-efficient administration of medicines. That feature adds to the functional capabilities of a needle-free device and presents an encouraging future for the market.”