|
(Amherst,
NH) – In
the respiratory drug delivery sector, evolutionary improvement is a way of
life. With
the exception of the insulin syringe, respiratory drug delivery inhalers for the treatment of upper
respiratory ailments such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease are arguably the most mission-critical drug delivery device class
currently on the market. These respiratory drug delivery combination products are relied upon by
tens of millions of Americans – out of a total worldwide market of
approximately 300 million – for the treatment of debilitating and
life-threatening respiratory conditions. For the majority of these
patients, the device in their pockets, purses, and cabinets has been and
is the metered dose inhaler.
The metered dose inhaler
has gone through a re-birth of sorts over the last five years, as
regulatory requirements and efficacy issues related to variability in
patient use of metered dose inhalers have fostered design changes at both
the drug and device level. The market for respiratory drug delivery will
remain a dynamic one, as business factors related to direct-to-consumer
marketing, patent expiry-driven generic competition and the changing
regulatory climate create new risks and opportunities. At the same
time, the convergence of socioeconomic and technology factors is driving
interest in respiratory drug delivery technology and devices as an
alternative to oral and parenteral routes of administration for systemic
drugs. With insulin delivery metered dose inhalers wending their way through the clinical
trial process serving as path-finders, metered dose inhalers are expected
to compete in the future market for systemic respiratory drug delivery.
These
factors are analyzed in a new and comprehensive report – Metered
Dose Inhalers: Devices, Drugs and Delivery Strategies. The report
analyzes the key factors and market forces that are shaping this evolving
market segment.
Source: Greystone Associates
 |