Microneedles not-so-micro by 2020

Miniature needles that can deliver drugs, diagnose disease and monitor patient health in the home are quietly moving toward the mainstream as developers and designers solve issues related to large-scale production and reliability, a new study finds. The convergence of incremental improvements and post-market experience will lead to accelerated uptake of medical microneedle technology, pushing the global market to $ 1.24 billion (combination product revenue basis) by the end of the decade.

Initially developed as a form of microporation, or active transdermal delivery, to overcome the limitations of passive transdermal patches, microneedles have attracted a large and diverse ecosystem - or supply chain - of developers and suppliers that recognise the substantial market opportunity for a device that can delivery therapeutic APIs or sample analytes at low cost. This ecosystem is driving microneedle product development.

A key element in microneedle technology evolution is the significant contribution of academic and non-profit organisations, pushing the limits of materials science and applied engineering to create new formulation and fabrication methods. The publication and sharing of this knowledge base is a key element in the advancement of microneedle commercialization prospects. Development successes encompass a broad spectrum of achievements that include fabrication, materials science, sampling methods, energy controlled designs, coating technologies, and encapsulation methods.