Streamlining Prefilled Syringe Use for Adrenal Crisis Patients
Learn from Julia Anthony, founder and CSO of Solution Medical, as she emphasizes usability and patient-centric design for the company’s dual chamber prefilled syringe and auto-injector.
The dual chamber prefilled syringe contains sterile water and powdered medication, reducing the preparation steps from 14 to just three for the syringe.
SOLUtion Medical
Key Takeaways:
SOLUtion Medical offers advancements in providing solutions for adrenal crisis patients.
The dual chamber prefilled syringe contains sterile water and powdered medication, reducing the preparation steps from 14 to just three for the syringe and two for the auto-injector.
The industry is increasingly recognizing the importance of working together across drug and device sectors.
Julia Anthony is the Founder and CSO of SOLUtion Medical and she will be speaking in a panel discussion next month at Interphex titled, Drug Device Combination Products for SubcutaneousSelf Administration. Prior to Interphex, I met with Julia about SOLUtion Medical's advancements in providing solutions for adrenal crisis patients and the challenges the company faced in designing a device that reduces the steps involved in administering lifesaving medicine. Julia described the development process and the challenges they faced, including marrying usability and cost, plus the importance of moving forward, even amid adversity.
“You can wait for conditions to be perfect or just create them yourself. If you wait too long, you’ll miss out on the opportunity,” said Anthony.
Keep reading to learn more about the incredible journey Julia Anthony has been on to bring a better solution to rare disease patients.
HCP: Could you tell us a little about yourself and SOLUtion Medical?
Anthony: I am the founder and CSO at SOLUtion Medical, and a rare disease patient at risk of adrenal crisis. Essentially, instead of fight or flight, when the body experiences stress, adrenal crisis patients start to systemically shut down and head toward shock. They then need a lifesaving injection that takes about 14 steps to prepare because it needs to be mixed right before it's injected for shelf-life purposes. So, I decided to found SOLUtion Medical first as a device company, then transitioning into a pharmaceutical and combination product company to make it easier to deliver this lifesaving medication. Currently, we are designing our products to enable multiple injection methods.
HCP: Great. I know the products are called the TwistJECT™ Prefilled Syringe and Auto-injector. What are they and how do they address the 14-step problem?
Anthony: We developed a dual chamber prefilled syringe containing sterile water and powdered medication, reducing the preparation steps from 14 to just three for the syringe and two for the auto-injector. This design not only simplifies the process but also makes it easier for patients or caregivers to carry and use the medication in their daily lives.
We didn't want to just make a better way to deliver medication, but also a better way to carry the devices on your person and provide users with confidence and reassurance during their daily lives.
Julia Anthony is the Founder & Chief Strategy Officer.SOLUtion MedicalHCP: What is your background, and how did it lead to the creation of this product?
Anthony: My undergraduate degrees are in healthcare and nutrition, not medical devices. After working in healthcare, I pursued a master's in industrial design focusing on medical devices. The classroom was just the beginning; it took a team of experts and years of learning to bring our product to where it is today.
HCP: What were the main drivers for developing this device?
Anthony: The primary inspiration was my personal experience and the desire to help others in similar situations. The complexity of combining a device and drug in a scalable way has been challenging, but our progress and success have been rewarding.
HCP: How did you determine the best delivery system for this drug?
Anthony: We conducted a full landscape analysis and found no existing product suitable for our needs. We decided to create our own device and realized that filling it with the drug was equally challenging. Our team’s diverse expertise has been crucial in overcoming these hurdles.
HCP: What challenges do patients face, and how does your device address them?
Anthony: During an adrenal crisis, patients experience physical and cognitive decline, making it difficult to perform fine motor tasks. Even if you’re trained, it’s hard to remember to do all those steps when someone's dying in front of you. So, what we wanted is have fewer steps to prepare the medication and then create devices that are easy to operate regardless of dexterity or eyesight. Our device reduces preparation steps and is designed for easy operation. We also focused on making the device easy to carry, addressing both practical and psychosocial aspects.
HCP: Are there other products like yours on the market?
Anthony: Existing mixing devices fell short of our needs, and for adrenal crisis, some competitors are developing new drug formulations. At SOLUtion, we want people living at risk of adrenal crisis to use the drug they already trust but make it easier to use—rethinking packaging, presentation, and delivery for users in high-stress situation. At the same time, we envision our products as platforms for additional indications in the future, are developing an end-to-end supply chain with our manufacturing partners to support production and delivery. While other mixing devices exist in various stages of development, none met our needs as effectively as our own design.
HCP: Can you discuss your partnerships in developing this project?
Anthony: The industry is increasingly recognizing the importance of working together across drug and device sectors. While I can't name specific partners, collaboration has been key and, for SOLUtion, instead of seeing each relationship as a transaction, we look to create enduring relationships throughout our supply chain that are mutually beneficial and focused on working together to improve the lives of patients and caregivers.
HCP: How do you incorporate user experience in your development process?
Anthony: We conduct human factors testing and work with 20 organizations globally to gather feedback from key opinion leaders and patients. This input is crucial for refining our product and ensuring it meets the real-world needs of those who will be using these devices.
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