Drug delivery device companies need to rethink their strategies to remain competitive

With increasing decentralization, new cell, gene and RNAI therapies, and a growing emphasis on patient self-care, many drug delivery device companies will need to rethink their strategies in order to remain competitive.

So said Harry Glorikian, managing partner of Scientia Advisors, in describing a study Scientia released today.

Scientia Advisors is a global management consulting firm specializing in growth strategies for major and emerging companies.

The study reviewed the growing market for parenteral technologies such as infusion, injection, catheters and implants that penetrate patients’ skin so that medication can be released into the bloodstream or local tissue.

Based on intensive primary and secondary research and proprietary analytic techniques, Scientia projects market growth of 7%, from $11.8B in 2007 to 16.7B in 2012. Growth in the parenteral market will be driven primarily by the increasing use of biological drugs such as insulin and monoclonal antibodies, which must be delivered through the skin. (If taken orally, they are digested by the gut and rendered ineffective).

While established markets (hospitals, clinics, laboratories, ambulances and the like) are sizable, the segment’s greatest growth will come as individual consumers increasingly manage chronic diseases—such as diabetes—on their own, Glorikian said.

For certain drugs, this trend may require changes in delivery methods and dosing regimens, the study found.

Companies should also focus on unmet needs for absolute sterility in the production and testing processes, on new formulations for pain-free injections, and on needle-free systems, Glorikian advised.