As the trend toward drug combination products for prescription drugs grows, a number of factors are converging to create both risk and opportunity for drug makers and their device partners. These include new classes of drugs for previously refractory conditions, the growing trend toward self-administration for chronic diseases, shifting patient demographics in industrial countries, and continued pressure to control healthcare costs. The recent escalation in new biological drugs indicated for chronic ailments is placing renewed emphasis on simple and reliable devices for the self administration of prescription drugs. These factors are giving rise to a new generation of sophisticated, application-specific drug delivery devices designed to satisfy caregiver and patient preferences while addressing managed care initiatives and the limitations of new classes of therapeutic drugs. User-friendly designs and the availability of an increasing number of drug combination products are propelling acceptance of user friendly combination products at the expense of other drug delivery methods. Because of their ability to safely and reliably satisfy treatment protocols and compliance goals, drug combination products will have a significant impact on the future of drug self administration.

Publication Date: December 2007