West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. is collaborating with Noble® to provide multisensory-based educational and training programs for self-injection systems. West will now have the ability to offer its pharmaceutical and biotech customers validated training solutions for the SmartDose® Electronic Wearable Injector and other innovative self-administration systems from West. This collaboration with Noble complements West's established relationships with other innovative design firms such as Insight Product Development and HealthPrize Technologies to enhance its patient-centric approach to drug delivery systems.
"Advancements in biologic products coupled with the shift to patient self-care in the home setting have driven the need for enhanced self-injection systems," said Chris Evans, Vice President of Research & Innovation at West. "We work by the side of our customers and partners to optimize the experience of patients who self-inject in a way that increases affinity, overcomes initial training and onboarding challenges, and fosters adherence to a treatment regimen."
According to a recent study by Noble and analyzed by Auburn University, more than 60 percent of patients self-reported that they did not thoroughly read the required steps outlined in a self-injection system's Instructions for Use document prior to beginning drug treatment, potentially leading to administration errors and impacting compliance with prescribed therapies.
"New patients with self-injectors often make errors in administration. It is not surprising that when patients don't have the necessary education and resources to use their self-injection system as intended, then expected patient outcomes are not achieved," saidCraig Baker, Executive Vice President at Noble. "Research from both West and Noble revealed that patient-friendly delivery systems and comprehensive education around self-injection are needed to improve the patient experience."
West and Noble are teaming up to offer multisensory education programs and technologies for wearable self-injectors. West applies human factors testing and analysis to the design of drug delivery systems to improve the patient journey. Noble incorporates similar human factors principles into the development of patient training technologies and education materials, including instructions for use, onboarding, smart training devices and packaging. By combining these offerings, West and Noble aim to help improve the patient experience, reduce errors and anxiety, and increase adherence to prescribed injectable therapies.