Cancer Patients to Benefit from New Drug Delivery Solution

Gerrisheimer has partnered with Aptar Digital Health to develop an integrated solution for subcutaneous administration of oncology drugs with digital therapy support. The Gx SensAir on-body drug-delivery device will connect to Aptar’s software-as-a-medical-device platform to improve the treatment and outcomes of cancer patients.

The name “Gx SensAir” refers to the integration of expertise from Gerresheimer (Gx), the history and technology from Sensile Medical (Sens), and the air pressure-based drug-delivery mechanism (Air). The device is designed to administer medication gently and effectively using air pressure.

According to Mithun Ratnakumar, Gerrisheimer’s director of technology, strategy, and governance, digitalization and new business models, the Gx SensAir pump is currently being developed with a focus on future market needs for large molecules (the device can deliver up to 20 milliliters of large molecule biopharmaceuticals subcutaneously). Its key feature, the micropump technology, is also part of a different Parkinson’s treatment pump already on the market with Ever Pharma.

“Our primary objective is to develop solutions that address the unique needs of biologic drugs used in the field of immuno-oncology,” Ratnakumar says. “Our drug-delivery device plays an important role in the administration of high-value drugs, especially drugs that target specific immune cells, such as PD-1/PDL-1 and CTLA-4. These therapies can be very effective but sometimes cause treatment-related side effects that can lead to treatment interruptions and discontinuations.”

By working with Aptar and integrating Gx SensAir with Oleena side-effect management capabilities, Gerresheimer aims to help manage these adverse effects better, improve clinical outcomes, and make it easier to monitor patients remotely.

The shift from IV to subcutaneous delivery.

Ratnakumar notes that most cancer therapies are currently offered for IV administration but are undergoing reformulations for subcutaneous use. This leads to growing expectations for innovative packaging solutions, including connected devices, reflecting a proactive approach to drug-lifecycle management and patient-care innovation.

Unlike intravenous injections — which can be time-consuming, require a hospital setting, and put patients at risk of bloodstream infections — subcutaneous delivery limits infection problems and allows patients to self-administer medication. Subcutaneous preparations are also said to be more cost-effective, saving time for both patients and staff and reducing pharmacy costs due to fixed doses.

The device and digital platform will first be designed for targeted anti-cancer therapies with the potential to expand to all therapies delivered subcutaneously. Ratnakumar says a number of pharmaceutical companies are developing or selling cancer drugs for subcutaneous delivery; however, he was unable to name them due to company policy.