A new electronic device for subcutaneous injection of IFN-β-1a

Abstract

Disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) can provide important benefits for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but nonadherence to treatment is associated with an increased risk of relapse. All first-line DMDs used in MS require regular injection, but injection-related problems are common barriers to treatment adherence. Autoinjectors that allow automatic injection at the press of a button have increased the ease and convenience of injection, compared with manual injection. A new electronic autoinjector has recently been introduced for the administration of subcutaneous IFN-β-1a. This device is the first electronic autoinjector for use with any MS therapy, and includes several innovative features that may be advantageous to patients. One of these features is an accurate electronic dosing log, which can be viewed by the patient and the healthcare provider. This article discusses this new electronic device in the context of other autoinjectors currently used to self-inject first-line DMDs in MS.

Keywords::

• adherence
• disease-modifying drug
• electronic injection device
• IFN-β-1a
• multiple sclerosis
• RebiSmart™

Financial & competing interests disclosure

All authors are employees of Merck Serono S.A. – Geneva, Switzerland, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

The authors thank Steve Smith of and Reza Sayeed for Caudex Medical, Oxford, UK (supported by Merck Serono S.A. – Geneva, Switzerland, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), for preparation of the draft article and collation of author revisions.

Notes

*An affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany