-Researchers world over are realizing that commercial acceptance of innovative drug delivery technologies stems from their ability to exhibit substantial therapeutic advantages over conventional routes of delivery.
Novel drug delivery routes are not only expected to increase a drug's therapeutic benefit by enhancing the efficacy, safety, and delivery profile, but also lead to increased patient compliance.
"Improved drug delivery can enhance the value of the company's current products allowing it to charge a premium for the increased convenience that its products provide to the patients," explains Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst S. Ravi Shankar.
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While insurance companies are apprehensive about reimbursing expensive products, they need to understand that technologically superior drug delivery platforms, by increasing patient compliance and reducing drug wastage, would save considerable costs in the long term.
New drug delivery technologies expect to play a pivotal role in providing a quick and inexpensive alternative to developing new chemical entities.
Patent expiration and the subsequent competitive pressure from generic manufacturers are also compelling pharmaceutical companies to adopt innovative drug delivery techniques for enhancing the value of their blockbuster drugs.
Researchers are currently focusing on developing new noninvasive delivery techniques that would increase the time interval between dosages. Longer intervals are likely to stabilize blood levels of the medication for improved treatment outcomes and patient compliance.
For example, in the case of insulin, oral, nasal, and pulmonary routes have emerged as potential noninvasive alternatives to the conventional transdermal route. This expects to make daily insulin intake more convenient and less painful for diabetic patients.
"Although insulin is a multibillion-dollar market, diabetic patients have limited options when it comes to administering insulin," notes Shankar. "Oral or buccal delivery is likely to expand the patients' treatment choice, and therefore, expand the market dramatically."
A new oral technology allows preparation of fast-melting tablets for various drugs and nutritional supplements at a cost lower than any other existing similar technology while maintaining the desirable properties for fast disintegration.
Although oral delivery of drugs is the most commonly used technique, it comes with certain drawbacks such as poor bioavailability and the need for multiple dosing.
Another challenge lies in effectively delivering macromolecular drugs that undergo degradation in the acidic environment of the stomach, especially the upper regions of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).
New oral delivery systems expect to protect macromolecular drugs from degradation by releasing the drug within the lower GIT. This is likely to play a major role in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Medicated powders pumped into the skin at supersonic speeds and implanted microchips that deliver precise dosages to nanomolecular transportation systems are emerging as potential drug delivery techniques for macromolecule drugs.
Drug Delivery: Analysis of Cutting-Edge Technologies and Trends is part of the Technical Insights Healthcare Vertical Subscription Service, and examines the global trends and developments in novel and emerging oral, parenteral, transdermal, and inhalation drug delivery technologies. It analyzes the key technology drivers and evaluates the challenges that must be overcome for each new drug delivery technology to realize its potential. The study also covers advances in product development and regulatory aspects affecting the drug delivery sector. Executive summaries and interviews are available to the press.
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Drug Delivery: Analysis of Cutting-Edge Technologies and Trends
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Keywords in this release: drug delivery technologies, patent expiration, generic manufacturers, blockbuster drugs, non-invasive delivery techniques, pulmonary routes, parenteral drug delivery, inhalation drug delivery, oral delivery systems, buccal delivery, transdermal route, insulin, diabetic patients, fast-melting tablets, macromolecular drugs, gastrointestinal tract, GIT, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome
