Cutting-edge design that puts the patient first is at the heart of a new drug delivery device for multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers.
UK-based product design and development firm Cambridge Consultants worked with pharmaceutical company Novartis and medical device manufacturer Owen Mumford – plus hundreds of MS patients – to develop the ExtaviPro 30G auto-injector.
The device has been launched in Europe – initially in Germany.
It is said to combine an attractive visual design and ergonomic shape and offers an easy-to-read adjustable needle depth control.
More than 500 MS patients and healthcare professionals in the US, the UK and mainland Europe were involved in the development process to ensure the device was underpinned by a deep understanding of the users.
Our aim was to make the ExtaviPro 30G auto-injector very simple and intuitive to use, and enable one-handed injection
The ExtaviPro 30G is for people who suffer from relapsing forms of MS – such as clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and secondary-progressive MS (SPMS) – who make up the majority of MS patients.
'Our aim was to make the ExtaviPro 30G auto-injector very simple and intuitive to use, and enable one-handed injection,' said Andy Pidgeon, Head of the Industrial Design and Human Factors Group at Cambridge Consultants.
'Its ergonomic shape leads patients to instinctively hold it correctly – which is vital for those who suffer from tremors, as having a firm grip is key to self-injecting safely.'
He added that patients wanted a soft, non-threatening design, so the company made it very user friendly.
Cambridge Consultants also developed the accompanying instruction leaflets – ensuring they were clear for MS sufferers with cognitive problems – as well as the travel bag for carrying the device and supplies for injections.