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Pharma’s Requirements for Drug Delivery Systems in 2025
Chapter of the 2025 Global Drug Delivery System Trends Report
3 minute read
Pharma and biotech companies are redefining what they require from DDS, given the forces in the global healthcare landscape and in the pharmaceutical market that are driving the need for DDS. CDMOs are now expected to support broader strategic priorities beyond ensuring safe and effective administration:
- Accelerated R&D timelines
- Minimized development risks and costs
- Maximized product value to improve uptake and pricing
These priorities are shaping a new set of requirements for DDS players, emphasizing usability, connectivity, flexibility, scalability, and the ability to deliver measurable clinical and economic value.
Accelerate R&D Timelines Through Evidence Generation
Pharma increasingly expects DDS to play an active role in expediting R&D and clinical development timelines, particularly in decentralized or hybrid trial models. Delivery systems should capture usage and adherence data directly from the patient, such as time of administration or dose accuracy, to reduce reliance on patient-reported diaries, strengthen protocol compliance, and allow earlier identification of trial risks. Connected devices that transmit timestamped data to sponsors can help streamline trial operations, shorten timelines, and improve the robustness of regulatory submissions.
Minimize Development Risks and Costs by Proving Clinical and Economic Value
DDS must generate robust real-world data that demonstrate therapeutic performance and cost-effectiveness early in the development process to reduce uncertainty and control costs before market entry. Capturing metrics such as adherence, dose accuracy, and patient-reported outcomes during late-stage trials can help de-risk regulatory submissions, strengthen pricing and access dossiers, and avoid costly delays. Wearable technologies, such as smart patches or connected injection devices, can provide objective usage and health data, supporting protocol compliance, identifying risks sooner, and minimizing the need for expensive trial extensions or trial redesigns.
Maximize Product Value Through Superior Usability and Patient Experience
Pharma is turning to DDS partners that can enhance ease of use and patient satisfaction as a competitive differentiator, given that therapeutic efficacy is often comparable across competing drugs. Devices must facilitate self-administration, especially for patients managing long-term treatments at home or those with physical impairments. Features such as ergonomic designs, intuitive interfaces, tactile or auditory feedback, or voice assistance can increase confidence and adherence. Advances such as finer-gauge needles and smoother injection profiles are also improving comfort, critical for high-volume or frequent dosing regimens.
In response, pharma is gravitating toward partners that offer integrated services across the drug-device continuum, from formulation and design to clinical-scale manufacturing and supply chain optimization. These partnerships reduce handoffs, accelerate timelines, and ensure continuity from development to commercialization, enabling faster launches, reduced risks, and greater market impact for pharma.