Botulinum Toxin Prefilled Syringe Coating for Low-Force Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing prefilled syringes for protein-based drugs like botulinum toxin face challenges in maintaining stability and functionality due to high sensitivity to pH, temperature, and chemical substances, leading to issues such as high sliding force, break loose force, and potential drug denaturation, which can result in inaccurate dosing and overdosing.

Innovation Solution

A botulinum toxin prefilled syringe system with a glass syringe barrel, plunger stopper, and closure device, featuring a normalized maximum gliding force of 20 N or less, low break loose force, and a lubricant layer to ensure smooth operation and stability over long-term storage, using fluoropolymer or silicone-free coatings to prevent drug interaction and degradation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional syringe materials are used to provide desired syringe functionality, then sliding force and break loose force are reduced, but protein-based drugs become unstable due to release of extractables and leachables

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesliding forceVSAvoiddrug stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A lubricant layer is introduced as an intermediary substance between the plunger stopper and the syringe barrel. This lubricant layer reduces the sliding force to improve ease of operation while being chemically compatible with protein-based drugs, thereby preventing drug instability caused by extractables and leachables from conventional syringe materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If syringe materials compatible with protein stability are used, then drug stability is maintained, but sliding force and break loose force become too high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrug stabilityVSAvoidbreak loose force
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lubricant layer serves as a mediator that decouples the relationship between syringe material compatibility and friction. It allows the use of chemically compatible syringe materials for maintaining drug stability while independently reducing break loose force and sliding force through its lubrication properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If prefilled syringes are used for botulinum toxin, then dosing accuracy and patient safety are improved, but injection force characteristics deteriorate with high gliding force and break loose force

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedosing accuracyVSAvoidgliding force
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lubricant layer enables the prefilled syringe system to maintain dosing accuracy and patient safety benefits while resolving the injection force characteristics issue. By reducing gliding force, it allows for smoother plunger movement and more precise control during injection, eliminating the trade-off between dosing accuracy and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The syringe system provides stable and accurate drug delivery with low gliding and break loose forces, ensuring convenient, safe, and precise administration of botulinum toxin over its shelf-life, minimizing waste and dosing errors.

Implementation Method 1

the inner surface of the syringe barrel is siliconized

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLubrication: Lubrication

Implementation Method 2

Botulinum toxin also generally has a high tendency to adsorb on syringe surfaces

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption prevention: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentEP3474931B1Botulinum toxin prefilled syringe system
Publication Date: 2025.09.24 MERZ PHARMA GMBH & CO KGAA
  • EP3474931B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3474931B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3474931B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates a botulinum toxin prefilled syringe system with desirable injection force characteristics, in particular low gliding force and low break loose force, comprising a syringe barrel of glass containing a liquid botulinum toxin composition, a plunger stopper and a closure device such as a tip cap or a needle shield. In addition, the present invention relates to a kit comprising the botulinum toxin prefilled syringe system, and optionally instructions for use, and to the use of the botulinum toxin prefilled syringe system in therapeutic and cosmetic applications.