A peek into the near future of polymer-based solutions
For more than 70 years, polymer specialist Raumedic has partnered with companies and practitioners to develop solutions for medical and pharmaceutical applications.
As a development partner, manufacturer, and service provider, Raumedic has many experts at its disposal - constantly generating crucial market insights - not just by looking data, but by cultivating and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders and decision makers in the market.
In the latest issue of Med-Tech Innovation News, four of Raumedic’s experts agreed to share their most important learnings and personal foresights – and their implications for the industry.
Chronic diseases, home care, and patient comfort: rising demand for miniaturised components
Lena Wagner, product manager for drug delivery, said: “The projections for growth in the drug delivery market are impressive. But it’s more important to understand the mechanisms and factors that are driving this increasing demand. Multiple interconnected trends and phenomena are occurring simultaneously.
“First, there’s an unfortunate rise in chronic diseases all over the world. Diabetes is just one striking example of what is colloquially referred to as a “disease of civilization.” Through globalisation and modernisation, sedentary lifestyles – along with other unhealthy lifestyle choices - are adopted by people in countries experiencing a rising standard of living.
Second, we’re witnessing the beginning of the era of home care. With ageing populations and demographic imbalances, we’re entering a time of elderly care on an unprecedented scale. This, in turn, will be a strain on public budgets. Home care might turn out to be a silver bullet. Through modern dosing and injection devices, therapies will require far fewer in-person treatments at the doctor’s office – providing a chance to reign in a possible future excess of public care costs. Further, most people prefer the option of remote therapies in the comfort of their own home.
Third, the rise of chronic diseases and home care have a common theme: the need for regular subcutaneous injections of pharmaceuticals – all while ensuring patient comfort. This often requires wearable medical devices with miniaturised components - as well as soft cannulas that don’t irritate patients when remaining under the skin for long periods of time.
That’s why, in my work at Raumedic, I’ve clearly witnessed a rise in demand for disposables for wearables as well as highly complex miniaturised components like drug channels. We also try to be ahead to the curve with innovations like our patented soft cannula from a single mould. It offers patients great comfort – and customers the potential of eliminating many process steps – as well as development and manufacturing costs.”
The future of syringe plungers: new materials to replace rubber?
Simone Marquardt, key account manager: “Many people in medtech still take it for granted that syringe plungers are made of punched rubber as a default. However, I’m seeing a gradual but decisive shift in the market – a pivot away from rubber and towards new and innovative materials. And there are good reasons for it.
“Advanced materials contain fewer additives than rubber, significantly less extractables are being released when a drug is administered with a syringe. This goes a long way in preventing a negative impact on the formulation of the drug and the triggering of undesirable physical reactions in the patient's body.
“Further, the manufacturing process of stumping rubber has major disadvantages. It leaves behind particles that need to be washed off at great effort. With washing, in turn, there is a risk of cleaning residues reacting with the pharmaceutical during clinical usage.
“Talking about usage - I often get direct feedback from clinical personnel, attesting to what we have found out in an in-house study at Raumedic: the improved handling properties of syringe plungers from new materials - vis a vis the rubber plungers - can literally be felt with one’s own hands.
“Another upside: These new materials can be processed via injection moulding, so anyone can have syringe plungers manufactured according to individual requirements and specifications. Thus, it’s no wonder that there’s more and more buzz about plungers based on these new material mixtures in the market.”
The augmentation of polymer tubing by digital and smart technologies
Martin Stoecker, product manager for Smartification: The world of medical and pharmaceutical tubing without "smartification" will soon be just as unthinkable as today's world of telecommunications without the smart phone.
But who will be put at an advantage by this? Contrary to what many might think, it’s not classical device manufacturers – but rather the niche specialists. The business models of many medical device manufacturers are currently in a phase of transformation. In the future, companies won’t be able to maintain their market share by solely specialising in classic device technology.
By contrast, businesses combining expertise in the field of materials, electronic hardware and software will benefit from the smartification trend. Only by matching the digital with the material can smart applications with real added value be developed.
Specialist companies should thus primarily rely and expand upon their experience in their area of core competence – and then incorporate innovative digital potential into every possible process step. This allows them to stay ahead of the curve and push meaningful innovation into the market.
As polymer specialists, we have done so at Raumedic. One outcome is the patented “Integrated Tube Connector” (ITC), developed to measure parameters and record data at various points on a tube. Universally applicable, it can be connected to any medical and pharmaceutical tubing system.
Whether as a mono sensor or multi sensor device, whether with medium contact or without - the platform solution from Raumedic offers the potential for many different applications – e.g. steering life-support-machines based on parameters measured by the ITC and communicated to the larger machine via interface function.
Fluid handling: pharma companies diversifying supply chains for tubing
Nina Kaiser, head of sales Pharma: “The unprecedented disruptions of global supply chains is leading to adjustments in procurement strategies. Pharma- and biotech companies are not exempted from this – quite to the contrary.
“While the availability of raw materials and finished fluid handling products was not a primary concern for a long time, the disruptions of a global pandemic and the permanent return of geostrategic power struggles have brought back long-forgotten concerns of product availability and scarcity.
“At the same time, the demand for pharma fluid tubing is set to continue to grow at great rates. This offers rather unknown suppliers in the market a chance to become as second, third, or even fourth supplier.
“In many cases, original equipment manufacturers of pharma tubing are supplying larger companies who, in turn, re-sell the purchased tubing under their own brand. These kinds of manufacturers are often looking to diversify their customer base.
“Pharma companies seeking to diversify their supply chain are well-advised to seek out a supplier company that fulfills three criteria:
- Proven competence in manufacturing pharma tubing for a well-known large pharma corporation that re-sold the product under their own name.
- Long-standing agreements with suppliers of raw materials. This is usually the case with large and globally operating family-owned businesses with a culture of long-term thinking.
- Spare manufacturing capacities to ensure quick implementation and general readiness.”