The pharmaceutical industry witnessed a gradual increase in the adoption of autoinjectors for drug delivery. These devices can be designed / modified to cater to drug specific administration requirements; as a result, autoinjectors are being used for dosing purposes for a variety of drugs, including epinephrine, insulin and human growth hormones, and therapies for fertility treatments, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Given the growing popularity of such devices, drug developers are known to often enter into strategic alliances with contract service providers that have expertise in handling both drug development and medical devices manufacturing.[1] The growing number of such alliances have prompted service providers to enhance their offerings and expand their operations in an attempt to serve the needs of their clients. Most recently, in August 2019, Thermo Fisher expanded its sterile capabilities to provide autoinjector / pen assembly specific facilities to its clients.[2] In another instance, in August 2019, Oval Medical Technologies moved to a new location in Cambridge Research Park in order to gain access to a larger space for its operations.[3] Similarly, in January 2019, PCI Pharma Services invested USD 20 million for the expansion of clinical and commercial packaging requirements for advanced injectable delivery platforms, including safety syringes, pen injectors and autoinjectors.[4]
Presently, there are over 90 contract manufacturers providing services for drug delivery devices. Close to 60% of these are based in North America, followed by Europe and Asia. Given the rapidly growing demand for specialized manufacturing services and high-quality standards associated with the current medical device market, outsourcing has grown into a promising segment, especially for manufacturing and packaging operations. In order to mitigate the challenges, a number of contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) have begun offering / expanding services for the development and production of various types of medical devices. These provide an array of services, ranging from design and prototyping services to supply chain management services.
[1] Source: https://vertassets.blob.core.windows.net/download/fa2f8448/fa2f8448-faa5-4558-8dc2-706962921937/white_paper_auto_injector.pdf
[2] Source: https://www.bioprocessonline.com/doc/new-auto-injector-pen-assembly-capabilities-compliment-fill-finish-capabilities-in-north-america-and-europe-0001
[3] Source: https://www.ovalmedical.com/2019/08/22/oval-medical-technologies-moves-to-new-location-in-cambridge-research-park-to-support-pharmaceutical-partners-advanced-drug-delivery-needs/
[4] Source: https://pciservices.com/expansion-of-biotech-technologies/
