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Why a pre-filled, disposable needle free injection device?
“Needle Phobia”, “Needle-stick injuries and contamination”, "Patient Care”, "Self administered injectables” and “Emergency situations” are important public health issues where needle free devices can bring significant improvements.
Self-administered injectables
Increased longevity and survival of chronic conditions largely thanks to new therapeutics coming from biotech have resulted in the need for regular repeated injections. This can be costly in both healthcare professional time and inconvenience for the patient. For such cases the self-administration of the pharmaceuticals is already a well-established route, for example diabetics are accustomed to self-administration of insulin. Crossject’s user-friendly needle-free devices are ideally suited to many of these applications as they facilitate the correct injection, are easy to carry and discrete and safe to use.
Needle phobia
This phobia is fairly common, with an estimated prevalence of 7%–22% in the general population (Agras et al., 1969; APA; Bienvenu & Eaton, 1998; Cartwright et al., 1993; Costello, 1982) and often results in patients not complying with their treatments; “4 out 5 patients eligible to Fuzeon are not receiving it mainly because of the fear of injection” (Roche).
In the US it is more than 15M adults and 5M children that suffer from high discomfort with injections or exhibit needle phobic behaviour.
Beyond the psychological issues associated to needle phobia it can lead to severe medical consequences including death.
“Common reactions include anxiety, fear, avoidance, autonomic reaction, and disgust. In some cases, patients' reactions make it extremely difficult or impossible to receive injections”.
Contamination
With 16 to 19 billion yearly injections worldwide (Greystone Associates 2005), the risk of contamination issues arising from accidental injury from sharps (‘needle-stick injury’) affect an estimated 10 to 20 million individuals.
- Hepatitis B: 8 to 16 M
- Hepatitis C: 2.5 to 4.5 M
- HIV : 80 000 to 160 000
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In 2003, World Health Organization officials confirmed that approximately 10% of the world’s 35 million healthcare workers are exposed to blood-borne viruses through unsafe needle practices each and every year. This figure is likely to be significantly higher due to under-reporting of incidents.
Amongst Healthcare professionals in the US 600,000 to 1 M injuries are reported every year; more alarming is that knowledgeable experts estimate that only 1/3 of all needlestick incidents are being reported.
According to the American Hospital Association one case of serious infection by blood-born pathogens could potentially add-up to $1M or more in expenditure for testing follow-up, lost of worktime and disability payments.
In Europe and in the US with the “Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act”, it is now required that healthcare facilities implement the use of “safer medical device”.
Patient care and quality of lifeNeedle-free devices decrease “social stigma” of injectable chronic treatments, allowing a broader acceptance. They increase compliance and are easy to use, particularly for self-injection and disabled population with chronic treatments.
“Managing self-injection difficulties in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis” / Darcy Cox; Jerome Stone (The Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 12/20/2006):
“Most patients dislike injections, particularly self-administered injections… This anxiety poses a barrier to treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), because the patient becomes dependent on others to administer injections. Self-injection allows the patient maximum independence and reduces the risk of missed injections or drug discontinuation due to unreliable injection assistance”; “ … Specifically, patients begin to consider the injection to be a burden associated with their disease, rather than the way to best manage their disease.
For these patients, disconnecting the experience of the injection from the experience of living with MS is often necessary to allow self-injection. Almost all patients with self-injection difficulties reported some feeling or belief that self-injecting means "I really have MS" or "I'm allowing the MS greater control of my life."
Emergency situations
In diseases like allergy or asthma, avoiding any delay in the treatment can potentially save lives.
A user friendly needle-free device would not require medical staff anymore for the emergency injections (emergency kits, schools, crisis situations)
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