Caring Innovation: single-dose strips

A MORE ADVANCED CARE SOLUTION THAT FACILITATES ADHERENCE TO THERAPY

What does it come to your mind when you think about innovation in the pharmaceutical sector?  A cure for cancer maybe? Or a revolutionary drug to treat Alzheimer's disease? Indeed, both discoveries would be major innovations. 

But what about innovations that facilitate drug administration for people with chronic diseases who are bound to take medications every day? Are these not equally revolutionary innovations?

We at IBSA believe the answer is very simple: yes, they are.  When it comes to at-home therapies, the ease and accuracy of drug delivery, as well as its storage, has always been a relevant issue. It is in fact one of the biggest challenges of the pharmaceutical industry: being able to deliver a product tailored to the patient’s needs and lifestyle while ensuring its properties and active principles are maintained at the highest standard.

THE CHALLENGE: ENHANCING THE PATIENT’S EXPERIENCE OF CARE

One of the earliest solutions to tackle this issue was blister packaging, which was engineered specifically for the pharmaceutical industry back in the 1960s. Blister packaging prevented preservation issues due to humidity while also ensuring the precise dose of the drug.

In more recent years, single-dose units became a common primary packaging solution, often used for the administration of single-use liquid products, mostly in the ophthalmology sector.

IBSA innovation – which dates to 2012 – consisted in using single-dose units also for products for oral use. In this way, it was possible to facilitate the ease of administration, as well as to help the precise intake of the drug. Why single-use? Because for certain diseases it is essential to take the exact therapeutic dose. Single-use solutions overcome the limitations of multi-dose formulations, which often result in administration inaccuracy and preservation issues, besides inevitably requiring the use of preservatives.

THE FUTURE: WHAT’S NEW

There are many application areas of this technology. One of them is endocrinology. Thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) are highly active molecules that require an exact therapeutic dose. By facilitating administration and absorption, single-dose strips may be an enhancing solution for hypothyroid patients.

Big news in this regard: after the recent launch of the new formulation consisting only of glycerol and water in the United States, now it is time for Europe. IBSA Farmaceutici, the Italian subsidiary part of IBSA Group, is launching this new single-dose formulation in twelve dosages – a unique example in the clinical field – aimed at facilitating the patient’s adherence to therapy. It is a great innovation both for the patient – who can now rely on an innovative formulation in twelve dosages – and the doctor – who will be able to identify the most appropriate therapeutic solutions to provide their patients with a targeted and customised treatment.

CARING INNOVATION

When dealing with drug intake, there is always human and emotional factors to keep into consideration. Fitting a therapy into everyday life might not be as easy as it sounds, especially when it comes to elder patients or simply when a stressful routine and a hectic lifestyle impact a person’s emotional and psychological wellbeing. We believe that developing solutions that make drugs and therapies more accessible and easier to fit into a person’s routine is as important as delivering a product of the highest quality.  At IBSA, we have a patient-centered approach merging technological innovation, scientific research and a humanistic vision of care. Indeed, innovating is our daily challenge, the focal point of all our activity. For us innovating does not only mean to discover new therapeutic solutions, but also to transform existing therapeutic solutions and their properties into simpler, more evolved instruments of care.