High Viscosity Formulations: Developing A 'Human Solution' To Autoinjector Design

By Jonathan Bradshaw, Oval Medical Technologies

Within the injectable drug landscape, the availability and use of High Viscosity (HV) formulations is growing, often driven by developments such as Long-Acting Injectable (LAI) technologies. Typically, LAI products consist of formulations that are highly viscous in nature (100cP – 1,000cP) which can present a range of delivery challenges such as non-Newtonian flow, or in the case of suspensions, ‘clogging’ characteristics. Often, these characteristics are well beyond the normal limits of injection devices and can present many difficulties for Subcutaneous (SQ) and Intramuscular (IM) drug delivery. When delivering HV formulations, there exists a delicate balance between achieving safe delivery of the drug and doing so in a way which is practical and acceptable to the patient. However, these requirements often conflict. To create a truly ‘Human Solution’ when delivering HV formulations, a suitable balance between the two must be achieved. This poster discusses the importance of achieving a ‘Human Solution’ to HV autoinjector design.