New analysis from Frost & Sullivan’s (Mountain View, CA, USA), an international growth consultancy company, revealed that the rapid advances in image-guidance technologies have also made precise and effective application of combination drug-device approaches a clinically feasible option.
Drug delivery systems have always comprised a huge segment of biomaterials R&D, and this branch of technology development has gotten a boost from the demand for smart and biocompatible drug delivery devices. In spite of its being quite new, drug-device combination is demonstrating its efficiency in targeted drug delivery through the adoption of popular approaches involving nanotechnology, photodynamic therapy, and antimicrobial implants, apart from tablets and pills.
Combo devices, with their unique construction and drug release profiles, have transformed the manner in which drugs are administered. A targeted strategy enables the delivery of higher therapeutic dosages while lessening adverse side effects. It offers greater control over toxicity and bioavailability of dose, in addition to continuous therapeutic drug release over prolonged periods.
Through combination techniques, silica nanorattles as drug carriers of antitumor drug docetaxel can now be used for sustained and pH-sensitive drug release. Correspondingly, conventional polymers can be incorporated with nanoparticles to form nano composites for achieving targeted drug delivery. Among the diverse existing platforms, nano-biomaterials under investigation for cancer treatment have garnered significant attention due to their unique features.
“Drug delivery devices are inherently complex systems that require the integration of the drug substance, formulation, container closure, and the device for optimum product functionality,” said technical insights senior research analyst Prasanna Vadhana Kannan. “Nowadays, patient-driven delivery devices incorporating a biologics portfolio are emerging as better alternatives to single-entity devices for providing enhanced therapeutic advantages.”
The detection of cancer indications is one of the most important areas of pathology influenced by the integration of a combination device. Cancer treatment needs to address the two daunting challenges of tumor heterogeneity and adaptive resistance. As a platform technology, the combination of multiple parameters has the incredible ability to target tumor markers and deliver agents simultaneously for synergy in addressing the dual challenges of cancer heterogeneity and adaptive resistance.
Customer preference for miniaturized platforms is persuading combination device manufacturers to create implantable devices for diagnostic and therapeutic delivery at the micro to nano levels. As more companies begin to adopt the open innovation model for developing products, inventions will pick up pace steadily across combining devices, drugs, and biologics.
To safeguard that the speed does not slacken, manufacturers have to guard against suboptimal drug products as the wrong drug mixture can lead to harmful side effects. A poor choice of biomaterials can cause the coating to rub off or too much drug being deposited in the body. Technology developers are still unable to achieve the desired efficacy levels for the therapy sought.
Moreover, companies frequently do not have the money to take the product to the commercialization phase. Therefore, companies often license their products to a large device manufacturer or collaborate with a pharmaceutical company to get the product to the market. “As combination devices is a relatively new concept within the medical devices sector, technology licensing, spin-off companies, and research groups are normally the prevailing model for commercialization,” said technical insights industry analyst Saju John Mathew. “This is for both emerging companies as well as for major participants.”
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