Parenteral Delivery of Peptides and Proteins - Challenges in Delivery of Therapeutic Genomics and Proteomics - page 582

Table 11.15 Marketed Technologies for Needle-Free Injection

Marketed Technologies Characteristics

mhi-500 (Bioject's
technology)

Injects insulin by using a fine, high-pressure jet of insulin
created by nozzle, penetrates the tissue, depositing the insulin
in the subcutaneous layer, delivers volume in the range of
0.02-0.5 ml. Marketed in Europe

Recojet (Shreya Life
Science)

India's first needle-free insulin delivery device

Biojector 2000 (Bioject's
technology)

The Biojector 2000 is the only needle-free system in the world
cleared by the FDA to deliver intramuscular injections. The
system can also deliver subcutaneous injections and is being
used for intradermal injections in clinical trials. It can deliver
intramuscular or subcutaneous injections up to 1 ml in volume

SeroJet (Bioject's
technology)

Delivers Serostim recombinant hGH for treatment of HIV-
associated wasting in adults

Biovalve's Mini-Ject
technology

Delivers large proteins, fragile antibodies, and vaccines
(intramuscular, subcutaneous, and intradermal). Can deliver a
wide range of drug volume (0.1-1.3 ml) and viscosities

Cool.click Delivers saizen recombinant hGH (subcutaneous)

Zoma-jet 2 Vision (Antares
Pharma)

Delivers hGH, zomacton. Marketed in Europe

Injex 30 Delivers 0.05-0.3 ml of insulin. Marketed in the USA

the French company-H Galante manufactured an “apparatus for aquapuncture.” Since
then, the demand has increased considerably. It was first commercialized in the USA
in the 1960s [433,434] . This device, by actuation, creates an ultrafine stream of high-
pressure fluid that penetrates the skin without the use of a needle. It delivers drugs
locally into the different layers of the skin, both as acute or slow-release depot sys-
tems, where the drug either resides or further distributes through the blood capillar-
ies in the skin to the circulatory system for peripheral and central action. Remarkable
contributions of this system in therapeutics are more patient comfort, improved dos-
age regimen, fast injection compared with conventional needles, and elimination risk
associated with needle disposal (hence more safe) [435] . Some marketed technolo-
gies [433] for needle-free injections are summarized in Table 11.15 .
Needle-free technology has redefined the patient's belief for parenteral therapeu-
tics. Pharmaceutical and biotech industries have a full opportunity to explore this
technology for various parenteral P/P drugs, such as MAb, therapeutic proteins, hor-
mones, and growth factors. Undoubtedly these will increase patient compliance and
product sale too.

11.6.5 Intracellular Delivery of P/P by Cell-Penetrating Peptides
Many therapeutic agents including anticancer, antiviral, and P/P drugs must reach
an intracellular target site located inside the cytoplasm or onto individual organelles,