Recent years have seen significant increases in the prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and autoimmune conditions, and the very high cost of the drugs (>€10k/yr) and treatment regimens associated with these conditions has intensified the pressure to shift medication administration from traditional settings to cost-effective alternatives.
One alternative location is the patient’s home, where treatments are now regularly self-injected. Diabetics may require multiple doses of insulin daily, while high-value biologics for autoimmune conditions may be administered as infrequently as once every 2-3 months.
However, homecare settings lead to poor patient adherence (i.e. the failure to take medication as prescribed). To address these issues, the development of smart drug delivery platforms and intelligent autoinjectors is required.
The greatest societal impact of smart drug delivery platforms will be seen in improved public health arising from increased patient adherence. Poor adherence is linked to demographic factors, incorrect patient beliefs about costs and benefits, and perceived patient burden regarding obtaining and using medication. It is estimated that up to 50% of patients fail to medicate as planned, and for chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, this can cause deterioration of the joints from physical wear of the bones, leading to further hospitalization, patient distress and financial burden.
Ultimately, non-adherence contributes to the premature deaths of nearly 200,000 Europeans annually. Conversely, the potential societal impact of improved adherence is huge – in one study, patients who showed improved adherence had a 13% reduction in the risk of hospitalization or emergency room visits – and emerging drug delivery technologies will further accelerate this trend.
in Moore4Medical
In Moore4Medical a wearable autoinjector platform for intelligent drug delivery will be developed. The platform is intended to improve patient adherence and reduce the cost of medication programmes.
Product-like demonstrators will be constructed to controllably deliver high-value therapeutics at precise flowrates and volumes; incorporating:
It will demonstrate a complete supply chain, from component to consumable.
Moore4Medical has received funding within the Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership Joint Undertaking (ECSEL JU) in collaboration with the European Union’s H2020 Framework Programme (H2020/2014-2020) and National Authorities, under grant agreement H2020-ECSEL-2019-IA-876190