Pharmaceutical industry might well be one of the most exacting industries on the market. In order to satisfy a very broad range of stakeholders, including patients, prescribers, payers, patient-care providers and other healthcare professionals, both pharma companies and product manufacturers must work in partnership and bring everything that they have to the table. To say the least, the success of a product depends to a great extent on the cooperation between the pharmaceutical company and the device manufacturer. Understanding this, SHL Group offers innovative solutions which differentiate customer products from a sea of parenteral drug options.
Meeting Customer Needs
As a successful and sustainable device manufacturer, SHL must generate high value functionality to satisfy the increasing demand for devices and services.. Given the challenges and market differentiation needs pharmaceutical companies face today, it is crucial for them to identify a device partner that will be able to deliver. The partner should be able to offer a range of proven device solutions that are adaptable to a number of different therapeutic areas and drug formulations. The partner should also be well positioned to guide their pharmaceutical customer in selecting the most appropriate design for their project, so that they can identify the functions that will create value for the patients and help the product to stand out against competition. By staying innovative, providing economical solutions, and always ensuring product quality, SHL maintains its status as one of the top device manufacturers on pharmaceutical companies’ list.
Large Volume Auto Injectors
With current generation of large molecule biotech drugs, biopharmaceutical industry faces growing need for new device solutions that deliver higher viscosity drugs in larger volumes. Moreover, due to a number of originator drugs coming off patent in a few years, their biosimilars will soon be entering the market, some of which have higher viscosity or cannot be formulated into a single 1 mL dose.In light of this, SHL has developed Molly® 2.25 – a new device based on Molly® 1.0, which is also able to effectively deliver more viscous drugs at a higher volume. The Molly® 2.25 auto injector, while accommodating a larger 2.25 mL pre-filled syringe, maintains all the strengths of previous devices made on this platform. These include the same simple two-step operation, quick-to-market timeline, ergonomic engineering, and customization according to customer-specific requirements.
At the same time, Molly® 2.25 builds on those strengths by introducing some new features. In contrast to Molly® 1.0, the larger version has an ergonomic cap that is pull or twist-off (for rheumatoid arthritis patients who need firmer grasp). The cap also prevents the device from rolling, whilst also sporting arrow-shaped cut-outs to further clarify handling directions. The backend is improved to appear more user-friendly. The result is a robust device that is extremely easy to handle and highly functional at the same time. As a preconfigured device, Molly® 2.25 retains all the timeline, business model and cost advantages of its predecessor.
Recognizing Future Trends
The beauty of a ready-made platform is that it can be reinvented again and again, always keeping in mind how it can improve user experience. With the advancement of the Internet of Things, connectivity is the next feature to be added to auto injectors, with the purpose of increasing patient compliance and quality of life for patients and caretakers. Device companies, such as SHL, who hold a greater understanding of the core functions of a drug delivery system and the related stakeholders’ needs, will have the advantage when looking to add connectivity. If connectivity-added drug delivery devices bring real value to the stakeholders involved, there is a real opportunity to completely change the landscape for self-treatment of chronic diseases.
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