Delivering on GLP-1 demand: A combination of device offerings and supply strategy

Manuela Giacon, Product Manager, Pen Injectors, Stevanato Group & Josh Gordon, Product Manager, Auto-Injectors, Stevanato Group explain why auto-injectors and pen injectors will remain at the fulcrum of GLP-1 delivery

"It is estimated that the GLP-1 market will exceed $100 bn by 2030, driven equally by diabetes and obesity usage. In the US alone, total GLP-1 users may be as much as 30 million by 2030 - that's around 9 per cent of the overall population (1). Here at Stevanato Group we believe that today, and for the foreseeable future, auto-injectors and pen injectors will remain at the fulcrum of GLP-1 delivery. And whilst this potential blockbuster treatment presents considerable opportunities for pharma partners, there are of course challenges, specifically in terms of satisfying demand.

In this article we will review the growth in demand for GLP-1 treatments and present Stevanato Group's response to this exciting opportunity, showcasing its Alina device platform for pen injectors and the Aidaptus two-step, single-use auto-injector.

In 1986, ten years after it was first introduced by Smith Kline & French, sales of peptic ulcer treatment Tagamet surpassed the $1 billion mark, making it the first drug in history to be classified as a blockbuster (2).

Since then, the pharmaceutical industry has welcomed a host of therapies and vaccines into this revered club, with indications covering everything from cancer and COVID-19 to arthritis and atrial fibrillation. In recent times, however, much of the attention in the blockbuster category has been focused on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 agonists). These drugs were originally established as treatments for managing blood-sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes but have experienced a recent dramatic boom in demand as treatments for obesity.