Ease of use of two autoinjectors in patients with multiple sclerosis treated with interferon beta-1a subcutaneously three times weekly: results of the randomized, crossover REDEFINE study

Pharmaceutical and biotech industry perspectives on optimizing patient experience and treatment adherence through subcutaneous drug delivery design

Subcutaneous (SC) drug delivery can be a safe, effective alternative to the traditional intravenous route of administration, potentially offering notable advantages for both patients and healthcare providers. The SC Drug Development & Delivery Consortium convened in 2018 to raise awareness of industry challenges to advance the development of patient-centric SC drug delivery strategies. The SC Consortium identified better understanding of patient preferences and perspectives as necessary to optimize SC product design attributes and help guide design decisions during SC product development. This manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of patient-centric factors for consideration in the SC drug delivery design and development process with the aim of establishing a foundation of existing knowledge for patient experiences related to SC drug delivery. This overview is informed by the outcomes of a multi-step survey of Consortium members and key pharmaceutical stakeholders. Framed in the context of the patient's treatment journey, the survey findings offer future perspectives to fill data gaps to advance patient-centric SC drug delivery.

Understanding patient preferences for handheld autoinjectors versus wearable large-volume injectors

OBJECTIVE

While interest in the use of wearable large-volume injectors for subcutaneous drug delivery is increasing, it remains unclear whether and under what conditions these emerging dosing options are preferred over more frequent but shorter administration of smaller doses using handheld autoinjectors. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the characteristics of patients diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, and treatment attributes that determine device preferences.

METHODS

Based on a cross-sectional online choice experiment, 191 participants expressed their preferences without being physically exposed to the devices or performing injections. Logistic hierarchical regression models were used to assess which patient characteristics, and how changes in treatment attributes, drive device preferences.

RESULTS

Participant quality of life reduced the likelihood of preferring wearable large-volume injectors to handheld autoinjectors. Moreover, reducing injection frequency from biweekly to monthly to quarterly injections, and shortening injection duration from 33 to 8 min, significantly increased the likelihood of patients preferring large-volume injectors to autoinjectors (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The study revealed patient quality of life as predictor of device preference and identified critical inflection points in injection duration and injection frequency, at which patient preferences shift from handheld autoinjectors to wearable large-volume injectors.

Potential Benefits of the Self-Administration of Subcutaneous Methotrexate with Autoinjector Devices for Patients: A Review

The role of patient adherence in improving the efficacy of any treatment is widely accepted, as well as its impact in optimizing the use of healthcare resources and associated costs. Adherence is particularly affected in chronic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), requiring long-term therapies and a commitment of the patient to manage his/her disease. Methotrexate (MTX) is one of the mainstays of treatment for several immune-mediated inflammatory joint and skin diseases, especially RA. The use of parenteral MTX, particularly when administered as a subcutaneous (SC) injection, has recently raised a great interest to overcome the limitations of oral MTX. For addressing this issue, new optimized self-injection systems have been developed to improve the ease of use of SC MTX. Increasing evidence shows how patients tend to opt for autoinjectors over prefilled syringes or conventional syringes in terms of easiness of use, preference and satisfaction, regardless of whether the treatment is a biologic or MTX. Additionally, positive views and beliefs of patients about treatment may contribute to increasing expectations of effectiveness and treatment adherence. Similarly, the implementation of prefilled pens in clinical practice might be a way to facilitate and simplify the self-injection of SC MTX delivery, optimizing adherence and treatment outcomes as a consequence. This article aimed to review the available literature data on the use of MTX autoinjectors and their impact on treatment adherence and patients’ perceptions.

An observational study demonstrating the adherence and ease of use of the injector device, RebiSmart®

Background: Adherence to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) treatment is considered one of the crucial factors for ensuring optimal clinical outcomes. Research has shown that the use of self-injector devices improves patient compliance with treatment. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to evaluate the ease of use of RebiSmart® 2.0 in clinically isolated syndrome/relapsing-remitting MS patients during 12 months treatment period.Methods: A total number of 290 subjects entered into data collection; 249 (86%) of them completed the whole 12 months study period. The primary endpoints and the secondary endpoints were assessed by the User Study Questionnaire. Adherence data were retrieved from RebiSmart® 2.0 (Menu - Dose History) on the respective patient's visit. Outcome measures also included Expanded Disability Status Score, Kurtzke Functional Systems, and Modified Social Support Survey, Modified Social Support Survey-5.Results: This study demonstrated a very high proportion (>95%) of patients with a positive rating of the overall ease of use and the overall convenience of RebiSmart®. The proportion of patients with a positive rating of the ease of use by individual domains and the functions of RebiSmart® were also high (>80%).Conclusion: The findings demonstrate a very good perception of the usability of the device by patients overall and in its individual functions.