Bioject - one step ahead in a needle-free world

Needlestick injuries are a constant threat to health care professionalswho often fear cross-contamination of infectious diseases as much as their patient fears the needle. Several companies are now solving both problems by using needle-free jet-powered parenteral delivery systems. Of these, Bioject's range of products has the market advantage, according to Jim O'Shea, chairman, president and chief executive, and Michael Temple, vice president and chief financial officer, in a recent interview with the Marketletter.

The jet injection market has an almost unlimited potential in the range of compounds that can be delivered, and the variety and flexibility of Bioject's injectors, which include devices for home and clinic use, means the company can apply its products to a diverse range of applications. Its interests lie in five key areas: immunization, multiple sclerosis/arthritis, male erectile dysfunction, growth hormones and erythropoietin. Immunization is the area in which Mr O'Shea sees Bioject attaining the largest growth, as vaccinations are routinely given intramuscularly and Bioject has the only US Food and Drug Administration-approved IM jet injector on the market. An added attraction of needle-free injection of vaccinations is their suitability for gene-based vaccines and for the developing AIDS and hepatitis vaccines. Needlestick injuries after injecting these vaccines would be especially undesirable as the vaccines are usually therapeutic, ie given to already-infected patients.

Comparing his firm with the competition, Mr O'Shea added that Bioject's range of products are suitable for delivery of medications in the original liquid form. This negates the need to reformulate the drug into a powder and complete the associated regulatory process, as is the requirement, for example, with PowderJect's delivery system. PowderJect's lead products include a hepatitis B DNA vaccine in collaboration with Glaxo Wellcome, lidocaine in collaboration with Chiroscience and alprostadil for erectile dysfunction. Another competing firm, Weston Medicals has licensed out its Intraject drug-delivery technology to Pharmacia & Upjohn for the latter's Fragmin and to Roche for delivery of Pegasys (PEG-interferon alpha-2a) for the treatment of hepatitis C. Finally, Medi-Ject's products are designed for the self-administration sector with a focus on the diabetes and human growth hormone markets. Bioject signed an agreement in November 1998 to develop prefilled, totally disposable injectors, capable of delivering large volumes, with Elan.