Pharmaceutical, biotech and drug delivery industries particiapted in the meet
Stevanato Group recently conducted its 2nd annual ‘Innovation Day’ at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. The conference was attended by over 200 guests from around the world representing the pharmaceutical, biotech and drug delivery industries.
The day began with a broad overview of current and expected future trends for the Parenteral Drug Delivery sector. In the presentation and ensuing discussion, it became clear that the present and future of modern medications and treatments will continue to require the parenteral route of administration. Furthermore, patient self-administration will play an increasing role as new therapies for diabetes care, auto-immune diseases and many others make it to market in the years ahead. Parenteral drug delivery and modern delivery systems such as prefillable syringes, auto-injectors or patch-pumps are expected to continue to grow at above-average rates compared to pharma industry in general.
The morning session was focused on challenges and opportunities related to primary packaging for parenterals. The high quality expectations of drug companies and regulatory authorities are extreme, which require a very close partnership between drug companies and suppliers of primary packaging. Such partnerships often deal with the resolution of issues, such as delamination, as well as looking toward the future to improved packaging systems for drug companies and patients
As a case in point, discussions among presenters and industry experts at the meeting made it apparent that cartridges may enable differentiated and optimised solutions for patients in the form of auto-injectors, pen devices or novel patch-pump systems. At the same time, new packaging formats such as EZ-fill cartridges can play a big role to simplify aseptic processes and quality processes for drug companies. A lively discussion ensued concerning the pros and cons of standardisation vs. diversification, including ways in which drug companies might work closely together with primary packaging and device suppliers to pick and choose the best of both worlds.
In the afternoon, discussions were conducted on drug delivery devices and how new developments can help patients better manage their therapies and diseases. It became clear that there is a strong interaction and inter-dependency between primary packaging and the delivery system used to administer therapies. This is especially true for products and therapies that can be self-administered, where a broad range of patient needs and characteristics associated with particular disease states invariably leads to a variety of differentiated solutions for parenteral drug delivery. An interesting case study in the field of emergency treatment with epinephrine was presented, where the importance of human factors analyses and considerations were clearly evident for the proper use by patients and care-givers.
EP News Bureau — Mumbai
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