Panel Discussion - Empathic Engineering: Innovation in Patient-Centric Device & Packaging Development

Dietmar Siemssen, CEO of German primary packaging manufacturer Gerresheimer, states that approximately 4% of the company’s revenue growth each year to come from deals with drugmakers of weight loss and diabetes products, particularly GLP-1 class drugs. 

Gerresheimer Primary Packaging Plastics specializesin the widely varied spectrum of pharmaceuticalplastic packaging within solid, liquid andophthalmic applications, plastic vials and plasticbottles for personal care.

Holger Krenz will be speaking at CPHI Milan about Gerresheimer’s platform solutions for primary packaging and drug delivery systems. His presentation will focus on the product benefits of the Gx Elite performance level which are the ideal packaging components for reliable functionality of drug delivery systems.

Ensure highest product quality and lowest cosmetic defects Accelerate drug development by most comprehensive data packages Create tailored system options with state-of-the-art technologies and components Offer best fit for demanding drug formulations by addressing bio-pharmaceutical requirements

"As a solution provider with a unique & dedicated product portfolio​, Gerresheimer is continuously exploring options to better accommodate their customers along the drug development and drug LCM journey. With its newly installed product platforms, Gerresheimer will be combining outstanding quality levels with specific product requirements in dedicated application fields and disease areas. From dental care over hematology, vaccines, diabetes and metabolism disorders into complex and more demanding areas such as Cell Gene Therapy, ophthalmology and oncology ... Gerresheimer will be able to support even better in finding the best containment solution for their specific application. Picking one example, we'll elaborate on our offering in the ophthalmology field ..."

How can device and packaging innovation influence patient ability and motivation to use their treatment?" With examples from research of how patients learn and become motivated, and how industry can use these processes to influence patient outcomes. Patients learn through a mixture of stimuli and learning processes, these stimuli can be adopted into device design and packaging to enhance the patient's feelings about their medication. Presently many patients using complex devices, like inhalers, make critical errors which entails repeated re-training. This presentation looks at innovative ways of embedding learning, that could be adopted by future device and packaging design.

What are blister packs, and why are they so important? How have they changed over the years, and where are they heading? This presentation will consider a history of how blister packs have benefitted the supply of medicines to patients worldwide, and how they are continuing to evolve within an increasingly sustainable landscape.

Wearables can take different shapes and sizes and are revolutionizing the way we monitor, treat, and manage health conditions. In this short deep dive, we will look at innovative wearable technologies and how they enable data collection and analysis, patient centric care, personalized medicine and more.

Overcoming challenges when developing subcutaneous drug delivery devices that empower patient self-administration. The trend in parenteral patient therapy has been moving towards the home-care setting for some time as it empowers patient independence. However, home administration brings additional requirements when developing a delivery device, and these are constantly evolving. Patient safety is always paramount, but usability is another critical factor, as well as sustainability and connectivity to support patient adherence. The challenge is to design a device to meet as many requirements as possible that can be ready on the market within 4-8 years. In this presentation we will discuss Gerresheimer’s mission of “innovating for a better life” and how we apply this when developing solutions that respond to the needs of patients, our pharmaceutical industry customers, and the environment, today and into the future.

The talk explores the current integration of digital health in drug delivery and various opportunities that it presents. Delving into the landscape of drug delivery, we examine the rise of connected devices, emphasizing the delicate balance between technology and compassionate care. This session also addresses real-world challenges like adoption, satisfaction, regulatory, and security considerations. Be part of the conversation on overcoming these challenges.

From sight, touch, taste, and smell to hearing, the five senses allow the body to take everything in. Research shows that the more senses are used, the better the memory is gathered, and the process enhanced. How does this theory apply to device development, design conception, and patient experience?