A research team at MIT, led by Dr. Kripa Varanasi, has figured out a way around one of the major barriers to the delivery of concentrated biologic drugs. Traditional syringes don’t work with viscous solutions, which means that concentrated doses of biologics and other drugs can’t be injected subcutaneously due to the high force that would be necessary to inject them. Such therapies must instead be administered in more dilute formulations intravenously, meaning they can’t be done at home.
Varanasi’s group has developed a novel syringe design which uses two concentric barrels and a lubricating fluid that reduces the shear stress exerted on the drug. Furthermore, the technology is inexpensive, which makes it a great candidate for getting concentrate vaccines and therapeutics to patients in the developing world who may not be able to travel to a clinic or hospital for IV administration. You can read more about the details and applications of this new design here.