Credence MedSystems said yesterday that it won a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the development of its Companion dual-chamber reconstitution syringe for use in developing nations.
The development project is meant to advance the safety of the Companion device for drug and vaccine products, which include storing drugs in dried form until time of use, Credence said in a news release. Conventional approaches can lead to human error, contamination and needlestick exposure, the company added. The amount of the grant was not specified.
“Credence MedSystems is committed to working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help all people lead healthy, productive lives,” Credence CEO Jeff Shanley said. “Enabling the safe, easy and effective delivery of critical therapies in developing nations is an area where Credence can apply its expertise to support the foundation’s mission and help affect meaningful change where it is most needed.”
“The pent-up demand for an easy to use reconstitution and injection device is significant, not just in the developing world but also in more developed regions,” added chief commercial officer John Merhige. “With the prevalence of more-complex biologic molecules that require storage in dried form, and with the administration of healthcare shifting to the home, the dual-chamber syringe allows less experienced users to safely and effectively administer their medications.”
The Companion syringe is designed to maintain separation of the drug from the diluent during storage, but allow for reconstitution and injection at the point of use. It is set up so that a user presses on a thumb pad to transfer liquid from the rear chamber into the front chamber, at which point it mixes with the dried drug product.
Credence said the Companion syringe’s needle automatically retracts into the barrel upon completion of injection, which should shield the user from needlestick injury and permanently disables the system from reuse.
Menlo Park, Calif.-based Credence said it is collaborating with Lyophilization Technology, Inc., for innovation, drug formulation and processing, as well.
“It is an extraordinary opportunity to support the venerable ambition of the Gates Foundation in promoting health throughout the world,” LTI president Ed Trappler said. “We are pleased to again collaborate with Credence MedSystems, a pioneering device company developing innovative approaches for the delivery of challenging injectable products.”
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