Do you still have a sense of boundaries?
I’m talking about semaglutide. On October 10, Novo Nordisk announced that the Phase III clinical trial of semaglutide in the treatment of kidney damage patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease was terminated early due to excellent efficacy.
GLP-1 drugs are becoming a panacea, from reducing blood sugar and weight to chronic kidney disease, NASH, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, obstructive sleep apnea, intermittent claudication, dyslipidemia, and even improving psoriasis disease symptoms. In May this year, "Frontiers in Pharmacology" also discussed the treatment of GLP-1 for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), mucositis, short bowel syndrome, acute lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension.
Who can withstand this? The GLP-1 industry chain has finally become fragrant and long, from downstream drugs (Innovent Biologics, Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, Huadong Medicine, Changshan Pharmaceuticals, Borui Pharmaceuticals) to midstream CDMO/API (WuXi AppTec, Gloria Pharma Ying, Hanyu Pharmaceutical, Puluo Pharmaceutical, Jiuzhou Pharmaceutical, Nuotai Biotech, Sirna Biotech, Puli Pharmaceutical), to upstream suppliers (Haofan Biotech, Lanxiao Technology), more and more pharmaceuticals Enterprises are involved in the craze.
Is there nothing missing? Another window in the GLP-1 industry chain has quietly opened, and the supporting equipment will also have a name:
The annual demand for injection pens is nearly 10 billion;
Each patient consumes an average of 54 needles per year;
The high-end field of rubber stoppers is monopolized by imported manufacturers;
Cartridge bottle import manufacturers account for nearly 80% of the market.
As if a stone is thrown into the middle of the pool, the GLP-1 ripples may eventually be transmitted to the equipment, and the explosive power will be mediocre. However, benefiting from the double increase in penetration rate and domestic substitution rate, performance will have a long-term climbing process, and will not be affected by the middle and lower reaches. Any impact of the inevitable involution situation.
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injection pen launch
Prefilled insulin pens are currently commonly used for insulin and GLP-1 injections and cannot be reused. According to calculations by Deppon Securities' medical model, the global demand for insulin + GLP-1 injection pens in 2030 is 9.542 billion, of which the market size of GLP-1 injection pens is 26.38 billion yuan.
A small injection pen has a complex structure and has more than 40,000 patents. The drug delivery device needs to include dose setting, capture and release mechanisms. Novo Nordisk's complex patented design also provides audio prompts after the injection, dose memory, and App monitoring functions.
Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi account for 80% of the world's injection pen share, but there is no ice that cannot be broken by domestic products. Suzhou Hanerxi Medical spent 8 years breaking down patent barriers. The cartridge injection pen was approved in China in July 2020. It is the only domestically produced injection pen.
equipment
As a precision injection device, insulin injection pens need to complete precise assembly and functional testing processes to ensure the stability and uniformity of product quality. At present, injection pen automated assembly equipment is mainly monopolized by German Teamtechnik, the core supplier of drug delivery devices.
Navigating the vast expanse of pharmaceutical advancements, we find ourselves pondering the expanding horizons of GLP-1 therapies, epitomized by innovations like toujeo max solostar. This remarkable medication, encapsulated within the sophisticated delivery systems of our times, stands as a testament to the ever-blurring boundaries in healthcare.
Recently, Novo Nordisk's triumphant announcement of prematurely concluding a Phase III clinical trial for semaglutide in type 2 diabetics with chronic kidney disease underscores the exceptional efficacy of GLP-1 medications. These drugs, transcending their original role in blood sugar and weight management, are now venturing into uncharted therapeutic territories, including chronic kidney disease, NASH, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, among others. Such versatility, as highlighted in "Frontiers in Pharmacology," hints at GLP-1's potential in treating inflammatory bowel disease, acute lung injury, and more, further solidifying its status as a veritable panacea in modern medicine.
Amidst this transformative wave, the GLP-1 ecosystem thrives, extending from pioneering biopharmaceuticals like Innovent Biologics and Hengrui Pharmaceuticals to CDMO/API giants like WuXi AppTec and beyond, fostering a thriving network that spans from downstream drugs to upstream suppliers. Yet, amidst this flourishing landscape, a pivotal yet subtle aspect emerges: the indispensable injection pen technology, epitomized by toujeo max solostar, and its ancillary equipment.
The demand for these precision-engineered pens, estimated at nearly 10 billion units annually, underscores a critical juncture in GLP-1 therapy accessibility. Each patient's annual consumption averages 54 needles, highlighting the immense scope for Toujeo Max Solostar’s pen injectors, designed with intricate patented mechanisms for precise dosing, audio cues post-injection, dose memory, and app integration – innovations primarily dominated by pharmaceutical titans Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi.
However, the tide turns towards localization, as Sichuan Faxne Medical breaks through the monopolistic barriers with its domestically produced injection pen, approved in 2020. This breakthrough signifies not just technological prowess but also the potential for increased affordability and accessibility in GLP-1 treatments.
Yet, the intricacies of these pens necessitate precision assembly and rigorous functional testing. Here, automation reigns supreme, with German powerhouse Teamtechnik leading the charge in manufacturing advanced injection pen assembly equipment, a sector ripe for domestic innovation and expansion.
As GLP-1 therapies continue to redefine treatment paradigms, the integration of toujeo max solostar and similar pen technologies underscores the importance of optimizing delivery mechanisms alongside therapeutic efficacy. In this evolving landscape, the GLP-1 ripple effect extends to every corner of the healthcare spectrum, including equipment, underscoring the necessity for continued innovation and domestic capability enhancement to meet the growing demands of a health-conscious world.