Cold forming partnership leads to development of drug delivery system

Published: 26-Apr-2010
Drug Delivery Pharmaceutical

Dawson Shanahan and Zogenix work together on Sumavel DosePro

Cold forming expertise from Dawson Shanahan, a UK company based in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, has been an essential part in the development of a needle-free syringe for pharmaceutical firm Zogenix.

Dawson Shanahan partnered Zogenix on development of the Sumavel DosePro (sumatriptan injection) system, a drug-device combination that enables needle-free delivery of subcutaneous sumatriptan for the acute treatment of migraines and cluster headaches.

‘Our client had heard of the benefits of cold forming in terms of both quality and manufacturing cost savings and approached us to produce one component of the DosePro device by cold forming,’ said Mark Jennings at Dawson Shanahan. ‘They were so impressed with our innovative solution that they then asked us to make a second component, again to demanding tolerances.’

Dawson Shanahan began to work closely with Zogenix to enhance the design of the DosePro system and manufactured a number of integral elements of the system in-house. With assistance from Simon West at E-Tech, the company created the bespoke machining and tooling needed to manufacture one of the components and together they developed and tested the parts until an optimum solution was found.

Dawson Shanahan engineered an aluminium chamber and steel ram to administer the drug without requiring a needle. The company says the success of the design is partly due to the high quality finish and intricate production of the cold-formed parts, which make it possible for the administration mechanism to work.

‘Throughout the manufacture process, Dawson Shanahan has been extremely collaborative, throwing the necessary resources at challenges to help us find the best solutions,’ said Bill Feinstein, director of operations planning and procurement at Zogenix.

Established in 1945, Dawson Shanahan employs 55 people in its 2,800m² purpose-built factory. The company is a precision manufacturer of components using cold forming, precision CNC machining and assembly. It specialises in the cold forming and finish machining of pure copper (OFHC), aluminium and ferrous components.

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