US-based BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) has announced a strategic collaboration with Switzerland-based Ypsomed, a leading developer of injection systems, to advance self-injection solutions for high-viscosity biologic drugs.

In a joint project, Ypsomed and BD have pre-assessed and streamlined integration of the BD Neopak™ XtraFlow™ Glass Prefillable Syringe with Ypsomed’s YpsoMate 2.25 autoinjector platform, addressing current limitations by enabling the delivery of higher viscosity (>15cP) biologic drugs in an autoinjector format.

The BD Neopak XtraFlow Glass Prefillable Syringe is BD’s latest portfolio addition, featuring a shorter, 8-millimeter needle length, and thinner wall cannula to optimize subcutaneous delivery of higher viscosity drug profiles. This improvement allows pharmaceutical developers to break design barriers, enhancing flow and usability beyond today’s limits versus a standard half-inch needle. This solution is a part of the BD Neopak™ Glass Prefillable Syringe Platform, which is designed to address key development needs for biologic drugs.

To support this innovation, Ypsomed is expanding its YpsoMate® 2.25 two-step autoinjector platform to accommodate the new syringe format. This includes adapting parts of the autoinjector for the shorter needle, qualifying tooling and assembly, and performing extensive technical testing to ensure reliability. The YpsoMate autoinjector device is handled in two steps: simply remove the cap and push on skin, designed so that people with impaired grip or vision can administer their medication easily and safely.