DRUG DELIVERY
8 drug delivery innovations you need to know Updates to existing devices and entirely new technologies have moved the drugdelivery space closer to managing chronic diseases and treating acute ones.
T
Sean Whooley | Associate Editor |
Tandem Diabetes develops the t:slim X2 insulin pump and ControlIQ advanced hybrid closed-loop technology to control Type 1 diabetes Image courtesy of Tandem Diabetes
16
Medical Design & Outsourcing
he drug delivery space has seen plenty of innovation over the years, and there are no signs of that slowing down any time soon. Some have delivered improvements upon established technologies like insulin delivery devices and inhalers, while others have unlocked new ways of delivering drugs through various means. Some of the best innovations in the space are from heavy-hitting companies like Medtronic and Tandem Diabetes Care. But some up-and-comers are beginning to make waves, too, while research continues to uncover new ways to deliver therapeutics. Here are eight types of drug delivery innovations you should know:
levels, or in Tandem’s case, pair with CGMs that track the levels, and automatically administer or withhold insulin depending upon the readings. Some describe automated insulin delivery as an artificial pancreas. While the technology has been on the market for a few years, closedloop systems have room to grow in the automated insulin delivery space. Honorable mention: Medtronic in November 2020 launched its InPen “smart” insulin pen integrated with real-time Guardian Connect CGM data. It touts the device as the first and only FDA-cleared smart insulin pen on the market for people on multiple daily insulin injections.
Closed-loop insulin delivery Closed-loop insulin delivery isn’t entirely new, but it continues to penetrate the diabetes care market. Tandem Diabetes Care is at the forefront of the space, with its t:slim X2 insulin pump and Control-IQ advanced hybrid closed-loop technology to control Type 1 diabetes. The system, which is compatible with Dexcom’s G6 continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre CGM, was approved by the FDA in December 2019. Medtronic also has a closed-loop insulin delivery system: the MiniMed, which was the first system of its kind to win clearance globally in 2016. Medtronic and Tandem last summer inked a nonexclusive patent cross-license agreement related to their diabetes treatment tech as they both develop competing products. The closed-loop automated insulin delivery systems can track glucose
Dyve Biosciences’ transdermal gout treatment Dyve Biosciences CEO Ryan Beal told Drug Delivery Business News in a 2019 interview that there haven’t been enough innovations in treatment for acute gout pain. Patients often deal with pain for days, but the Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based company’s DYV-700 transdermal treatment seeks to turn that into mere minutes. The company develops its therapeutic in the form of a topical cream with a moisturizer or lotion consistency. The patient is supposed to apply it to the limb of the affected joint three times per day. The drug’s creators designed it to penetrate the skin, get into the joint space and change the pH environment in the joint, dissolving the crystals that cause pain. A pilot study revealed a nearly 50% reduction in gout attack duration as meaningful. Researchers observed significant pain reduction in minutes, not days. More R&D will see what other conditions are a good fit for Dyve’s transdermal therapeutic, but for now, the company is focused on gout and melasma, which is hormone-induced hyper-pigmentation during pregnancy.
5 • 2021
www.medicaldesignandoutsourcing.com
