US-based medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) has partnered with Ypsomed to advance self-injection solutions for high-viscosity biologic drugs.

Ypsomed is a Switzerland-based company providing advanced injection and infusion systems for self-medication, primarily for the treatment of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

The collaboration aims to combine BD’s syringe platform technology with Ypsomed’s autoinjector platform and leverage shared expertise to deliver reliable device systems.

As part of the collaboration, Ypsomed and BD will integrate the BD Neopak XtraFlow Glass Prefillable Syringe with Ypsomed’s YpsoMate 2.25 autoinjector platform.

The pre-assessed integration is said to address the current limitations in the delivery of high-viscosity biologic drugs in an autoinjector format.

BD Medical Pharmaceutical Systems worldwide president Patrick Jeukenne said: “Cross-supplier collaborations are vital in today’s pharmaceutical ecosystem.

“These partnerships can help drive innovation and ensure that systems work by design and over lifecycles, allowing our pharmaceutical partners to get life-saving therapies to patients faster.”

The BD Neopak XtraFlow Glass Prefillable Syringe is the latest addition to BD’s Neopak Glass Prefillable Syringe Platform, designed to address key development needs for biological therapeutics.

The syringe features a shorter, 8mm needle length, and thinner wall cannula to optimise subcutaneous delivery of higher viscosity drug profiles.

It allows pharmaceutical developers to address the design barriers, enhancing flow and usability beyond current limits, compared to a standard half-inch needle.

Ypsomed is expanding its YpsoMate 2.25 two-step autoinjector platform to complement the Neopak XtraFlow and accommodate the new syringe format.

The expansion includes modifying autoinjector parts to suit the shorter needle, qualifying tooling, and assembly, and performing extensive technical testing to ensure reliability.

The YpsoMate autoinjector is handled by removing the cap and pushing on the skin, allowing people with impaired grip or vision to administer their medication easily and safely.

Ypsomed Delivery Systems chief business officer Ulrike Bauer said: “We are excited to welcome the first pharmaceutical customers to experience the benefits of the BD Neopak XtraFlow Glass Prefillable Syringe with the YpsoMate 2.25 autoinjector.

“This collaboration underscores our commitment to enhancing patient care through innovative drug delivery solutions.”