Drugs are mostly viscous and has various formulations (intravenous, intramuscular, and subcutaneous) that needs to be absorbed into digestive tract, which raise multiple drug delivery issue with traditional drug delivery system. Moreover, such issues not only raise costs but also decrease satisfaction and compliance of patients. Wearable injectors or bolus injectors are the new class for drug delivery device designed for subcutaneous delivery. It has capacity to hold the drug volume of up to 2.5 ml. Wearable injectors are easy to handle, low cost, disposable, and allow self-administration. Advancement in injector technology over traditional drug delivery system include single button to release the drug and after completion of drug in body, the needle is retracted and gets locked automatically. Thus, it’s safe and convenient disposable system benefits people who has needle phobia. Furthermore, it allows audible and visual signals, which is expected to fuel the growth of wearable injector market during forecast period.

Wearable Injector Market Taxonomy:

By Product type

On-body (Adhesive patch)

Off-body (Belt clip)

Hand-Held

By Usage

Disposable

Semi-Reusable

By Technology

Spring-based

Motor-driven

Rotary Pump

Expanding battery

Pressurized Gas

Collapsible Reservoir

By Application

Cardiovascular

Autoimmune diseases

Diabetes

Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Others

By End-use Industry

Hospital

Clinics

Home-care

Ambulatory Service

Strategies to improve drug delivery system through the introduction of new wearable injectors is expected to propel the growth of wearable injector market

In 2015, Unilife Corporation introduced Imperium, which is an instant patch pump used for insulin. Imperium is a subcutaneous insulin infusion, disposable, prefilled, and multi-day wearable insulin pump. It has various features that include data connectivity for app to constantly remind and update wireless connectivity such as Bluetooth LE. It also provide real-time access to healthcare provider to track the insulin therapy of each patient.

In 2014, Enable Injections LLC has signed an agreement with CSL Behring to develop novel drug delivery devices. Enable Injectors intent to improve comfort, convenience, and compliance administrative device for the patients with rare diseases.

Enable Injection LLC and Flex entered in agreement to develop and manufacture wearable medical device in 2016. Enable and Flex aims to develop subcutaneous pain-free injection technology with features such as Bluetooth connectivity, monitoring system with smartphone app, mix automation, and passive warming system.

Unilife Corporation entered in an agreement with Amgen to develop customized wearable injectors in 2016. Unilife has granted exclusive rights to Amgen for Unilife’s wearable injectors, with only selected drug classes are used for wearable injector device. Furthermore, Unilife also granted some non-exclusive rights to Amgen for its delivery system of certain therapeutic area that include inflammation, nephrology, oncology, bone health, neuroscience, and cardiovascular.

Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and high demand for advanced drug delivery device for frequent administration of drug is expected to augment the market growth

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1.6 million deaths caused by diabetes in 2015 and is expected to increase by more than 50% before the age of 70 years by 2030. Moreover, According to National Institute of Health (NIH), in 2017, around 23.5 million people are suffering from autoimmune diseases in U.S.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2017, nearly 1 in every 6 death occurs due to cancer globally and approximately 70% of deaths from cancer occur in low and middle-income countries. Increasing prevalence of chronic disease and high demand for advanced drug delivery devices for frequent administration of drugs is expected to fuel the growth of wearable injector market during the forecast period.

Some of the key players operating in the global wearable injector market include Medtronic Plc, West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., Enable Injections, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, scPharmaceuticals, Inc, Johnson & Johnson, Insulet Corporation, Sensile Medical Ag, Becton, and Dickinson And Company.