A novel electromechanical autoinjector, AutoTouch™, for self-injection of etanercept: real-world use and benefits

ABSTRACT

Objectives: We assessed the ability of patients with autoimmune inflammatory diseases to successfully use the investigational AutoTouch™ reusable autoinjector as well as patient preference for AutoTouch™ versus the currently marketed single-use prefilled etanercept SureClick® autoinjector.

Methods: Two multicenter studies were performed: a Home Use Study and a Patient Preference Study. In the Home Use Study, 77 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or psoriatic arthritis self-administered etanercept once weekly for 5 weeks. The primary end point was successful self-injection of etanercept via AutoTouch™. The Patient Preference Study was an open-label, randomized, 8-week crossover trial (4 weeks for each device) in 216 patients with RA or psoriasis (PsO). The primary end point was preference for AutoTouch™ versus SureClick®.

Results: In the Home Use Study, the proportion of successful self-injections with AutoTouch™ during weeks 1 through 5 was 97.8% (95% CI, 96.3‒99.3). In the Patient Preference Study, patients had a preference rate for AutoTouch™ of 41.7% (95% CI, 34.9–48.4) overall, 43.5% (95% CI, 35.5‒51.6) for patients with RA, and 36.8% (95% CI, 24.3‒49.4) for patients with PsO. Needle apprehension was not different at initiation of the autoinjectors, nor was there a difference between the injectors after 4 weeks. Overall, patients preferred AutoTouch™ for ease of self-injecting, ease of pressing the start button, ease of following injection progress, and certainty of knowing when the injection was completed. SureClick® was preferred for fewer steps and experiencing less injection site discomfort or pain.

Conclusion: The introduction of the AutoTouch™ will give patients a choice between two different autoinjectors for self-administration of etanercept.

KEYWORDS:

• Etanercept
• self-administration
• rheumatoid arthritis
• psoriatic arthritis
• psoriasis
• injector

Declaration of interest

Rick Davis and Miranda Tradewell (Complete Healthcare Communications, LLC) and Tim Peoples (Amgen Inc.) provided medical writing support, funded by Amgen Inc. All authors are current or former employees of and hold stock in Amgen Inc. 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.

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Additional information

Funding

This article was funded by Amgen Inc.