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Take diabetes for example, where the body does not produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars. Insulin can’t be taken orally as the digestive system would break it down before it reached the bloodstream, so it must be injected.

Or consider asthma, a chronic lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. Inhalers deliver medication directly to the lungs where it’s needed, rather than a tablet which would circulate through the body and be less effective.

Transdermal – through the skin – patches provide an easily applied, reliable, comfortable and controlled release of medication, while implants are an effective way of providing consistent daily levels of medication for regulation of body functions.

From insulin pens to asthma inhalers, medical devices have revolutionized treatment delivery. At Teva, the story of device engineering is about innovation, patient needs and global impact.

Combination products explained

When drugs or biologics are used directly with or packaged together with a device, these are collectively known as combination products (CPs). They offer a unique challenge to their producers, as not only must the medicine do its job efficiently, so must the device. Both must work together to give the patient the best and most effective experience.

Teva produces a wide range of drug devices, with a yearly output of over 100 million combination products globally. This requires solution-based innovations from teams working around the world in its generics’ powerhouse, biosimilars franchise and innovative medicines businesses. Teva’s extensive experience and expertise in these sectors is a key part of its success in the field.

“Some companies specialize in injectables, some in inhalers, for example, but Teva works right across the board and that means we have a wealth of expertise and talent to draw on,” explains Rob Cook, Head of Generics and SVP Small Molecule CMC & Combination Products at Teva.

“Engineers who come from different product teams often bring new perspectives, which can lead to faster problem solving. Whereas a lot of the larger companies rely on third parties for their device design development and manufacture which can lead to a lack of control and innovation.”

Putting patients first in human factors research

Investigating how patients and healthcare professionals use these devices is key, but this has traditionally come late in the process of designing them. Teva is now innovating to change this, as being aware of user needs from the outset is key to providing optimum designs.

Paul Bridges, VP Head of Global Combination Products and Device R&D, gives an example from an industry project to devise an inhaled insulin product, providing diabetic patients with an alternative to an injector – “because obviously no one really likes using needles”. Despite the new approach, patient feedback revealed a key issue; the device was awkward to use in public.

“When patients are in restaurants, for example, they didn’t want to get this large device out and hold it up to their mouth in a public environment. They preferred being able to self-administer their drug very discreetly under the table, using traditional injection pens.”

The investment to get final manufactured product to patients was substantial and, as Paul says, “the value of the product just evaporated as soon as patients tried it out”. Sourcing patient feedback at the start of the project would have saved a lot of time and money.

But it’s not just about asking patients what they want, it’s also about pre-empting their needs.

“As Henry Ford says, if he’d asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. Had he followed that suggestion, he never would have invented the car,” says Paul.

By fusing human factors research with science and engineering capabilities, Teva aims to leverage innovative device technology and provide bigger solutions to optimize the user experience.

Predictive engineering

Early evaluation, as we have seen, is key.

“We’re doing more early device development and technology feasibility evaluation work, so there's less risk of device failure,” says Mark DeStefano, Director of Global Technology Innovation for Teva’s CPD R&D group. “This means we don't need to implement new device variants late in the game or miss a launch window because of device deficiency. Instead, we discover issues sooner rather than later.”

Being able to predict the future is also key, says Paul Bridges.  “Using engineering analysis, we can anticipate the way a product will perform before we've even manufactured it. We can model the way different components will work together and use physical and mathematical models to anticipate how the design will work. In this way, we can cut out a lot of development time and progress to product submission and commercialization sooner.”

Teva’s reach and pioneering approach

Teva’s commercial experience in multiple markets supporting millions of patients is also fueling its success in CPs.

“There's a lot of knowledge that comes from the fact we're tackling all these different disease types across generics, biosimilars and innovative medicines, not to mention our business development partnering opportunities. This potential is huge,” says Paul.

It’s not just the scale of Teva’s operation that’s important however, Paul explains, it’s also its approach.

“I’ve worked in all sorts of different companies, from big corporations to start-ups, and Teva has the perfect blend of those two worlds - the entrepreneurial spirit of a startup, alongside the advantage and potential of a large size corporation.”

Overcoming challenges through innovation

Innovating at the corporate scale brings its own challenges of course. And innovation is also required to solve them.

“There's a lot of innovation and development rigor required to demonstrate that generic devices can be interchangeable,” says Rob Cook.

This is even more challenging in the US, where the FDA is only now providing guidance in this area. The situation is more straightforward in Europe, where regulators will accept state-of-the-art innovations that improve the product over its generic counterpart.

“Those are the challenges we are facing with global development. One size doesn’t fit all markets unfortunately.”

What does the future look like?

“There is a lot of technical data available to us across Teva’s extensive pipeline and commercial product offering and we’re moving into a space where we can simulate and predict to enhance our R&D efforts using that data,” says Rob Cook. “There are interesting times ahead.”

“Teva has a very broad and deep capability in medical devices,” says Paul Bridges. “And we’re building on that to build the future. For me, it’s personal stories that make an impact. One of my close family members is a potential patient for one of the products we’re developing so I have direct experience of the challenges they face and how our team’s innovations may help them. I have a very personal connection to Teva’s journey in CPs and what we’re doing every day.”

Teva’s CP journey is truly global, with over 90 experts located in six sites around the world offering engineering, scientific and human factors expertise. They are collaborating to support Teva’s Pivot to Growth strategy and, most importantly, striving to enhance the patient experience.

  NPS-ALL-NP-01466-JANUARY-2025  

Find out more:

• Key trends in drug delivery devices: Mark DeStefano, Director of Global Technology Innovation, Combination Products and Device R&D discusses the latest innovations
• What are biologics and biosimilars? We explain the difference and showcase Teva’s innovative work in this space
• Read more about complex generics: facts, figures and who they benefit
• Interested in getting involved in the work that we do? Explore a career at Teva

https://www.teva.pl/news-and-media/latest-news/

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Teva Pharmaceuticals, razem z firmami: Grupa Neuca, Zakłady Farmaceutyczne Polpharma S.A., Adamed Pharma, Zentiva Polska oraz farmaceutami, zmierzyła się z problemem tego, co się dzieje z lekami, gdy już nie są pacjentowi potrzebne lub się przeterminują.

Pierwsze skojarzenie z apteką to oczywiście „leki”. Tutaj pacjent nie tylko zaopatruje się w farmaceutyki, ale także może uzyskać poradę na temat ich stosowania. Dlatego to właśnie na aptekach skupiła się kampania edukacyjna, adresująca ważny problem - kwestię niewłaściwej utylizacji farmaceutyków. 

Badania nie pozostawiały złudzeń: 60% pacjentów wyrzucało leki do zwykłego kosza na odpady zmieszane, a 28% spłukiwało je w toalecie. W minimalizowaniu problemu mogła pomóc systematyczna edukacja i rozwiązania dostępne na wyciągnięcie ręki, dlatego powstała kampania: „Leki do Apteki. Świat w Twoich rękach”. 

W jej drugim etapie elementy budujące świadomość pacjentów trafiły do aptek. Znalazły się wśród nich m.in. plakaty, ulotki, osłonki na pojemniki do zbiórki leków czy papierowe torby z instrukcjami. Kampanijne materiały zaprojektowane zostały w taki sposób, by służyły farmaceutom i pacjentom jak najdłużej. 

Działaniom w aptekach towarzyszyła wielokanałowa kampania, która uzyskała 8 mln wyświetleń w internecie i dziesiątki cytowań w mediach tradycyjnych. W ramach projektu zorganizowany został też webinar dotyczący ESG w aptekach, w którym wzięło udział ponad 200 farmaceutów. 

- Kampania „Leki do apteki - Świat w Twoich rękach” bardzo korzystnie wpłynęła na świadomość pacjentów – mówi mgr farm. Aleksandra Bojanek, kierownik apteki w Myszkowie. – Dla osób starszych akcja była motywacją do przejrzenia własnych apteczek i uporządkowania leków. W czasie zbiórki nasza apteka odnotowała około 3 razy większy odbiór leków przeterminowanych. W świadomości pacjentów budujemy renomę aptek dbających o środowisko naturalne. 

Więcej o akcji - LekiDoApteki 

https://www.tevapharm.com/patients-and-caregivers/all-stories/managing-your-asthma-as-a-new-mom/

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I gave birth to my first baby in mid-February. I had a beautiful little boy who has turned our world upside down in the best way. The first few weeks were a blur of nappies, sleepless nights, and trying to figure out how to breastfeed - all while recovering from a long and exhausting labor.

Becoming a new mom is undoubtedly a special time in life. But looking after your health and well-being can take a backseat when all efforts go toward keeping a tiny human alive.

5 Tips for “winning” at the new mom stage with asthma

1. Discuss your Asthma Plan with your doctor

With long-term conditions like asthma, it's essential to ensure that you still prioritize your healthcare plan post-birth. However, I know only too well how much of a challenge that can be when your focus is consumed by a new baby. 

You're very much sleep-deprived. I nearly put the kettle in the fridge when making tea one morning, so remembering to take asthma medication can be tricky!

I recommend keeping an asthma journal, setting reminders on your phone for treatment and appointments, and putting any prescribed medications right next to the bed so you can reach them easily (alongside the water bottle and snacks for night feeds!). Ask your partner/family member for their support, too!

2. Seek advice from your health care team about breastfeeding with asthma

I worried about what medication I was allowed to take during pregnancy. Now that I'm breastfeeding our baby, the concerns remain. Fortunately, my healthcare team has been extremely helpful in that regard. Please communicate with your doctor or nurse as much as possible - they're there to help! I know it's important for my and my baby's health that my asthma is under control so that I can continue to look after them properly.

It took us a while to get the hang of breastfeeding. If you're struggling, don't hesitate to contact your healthcare team, a breastfeeding helpline, or a lactation consultant. 

Breastfeeding has many health benefits for both mom and baby. Some evidence suggests that breastfeeding may help protect your baby from developing asthma.

However, I was a breastfed baby, so the connection is not always there!

3. Keep on being active!

I carried on with my (adapted) asthma-friendly exercise regimen during pregnancy, so I wanted to do the same post-birth!

After giving birth, it can be hard to find the time to exercise, especially when exhausted. That said, you can start gentle exercise again soon after your baby is born if you had an uncomplicated delivery. If you had a cesarean birth or complications, ask your doctor when it will be safe to begin exercising again.

I like to keep moving, even if my exercise regimen is now less intense than before. Regular physical activity is good for my lungs because it increases muscle strength and stamina. I can breathe more efficiently while exercising and experience fewer asthma symptoms.

A stroll around the local streets with the little one in the pram or the baby carrier can help with the tiredness. A gentle walk can also boost my mental well-being and make me feel somewhat like my pre-baby self! The motion of walking helps him fall asleep, which is a winner!

4. Stay mindful of and monitor your mental health

As well as walking, I've started going to a Mom & Baby Yoga class once a week. The sessions are great for a stretch, even if there's a fair amount of feeding and cuddling amongst the yoga poses. 

It's also nice to socialize with other moms and enjoy adult conversation! Looking after a newborn can be all-consuming, and you sometimes feel slightly lost. It can be hard to remember who I was as a person before the baby. 

Being active and spending time outdoors is a huge part of who I am. I'm determined to make time for the things I enjoy - for my well-being and to share those passions with my son.

5. Socialize with friends in the same boat

Living with a lung condition like asthma can have mental and emotional challenges. Adding on the pressure of being a new mom can have a real impact on your well-being. Discuss any mental health concerns during your postnatal health checks and regular asthma appointments. It's vital to get the support you need!

I also recommend finding some baby groups to attend or other local moms that you can go for coffee or a walk with. Socializing really helps you feel less alone with any challenging thoughts. 

I've made good friends with some of the moms from these groups. We have a WhatsApp group where messages ping day and night - we know there's always someone in the same boat we can talk to.

Remember - we've got this! 

The information presented is solely for educational purposes, not as specific advice for the evaluation, management, or treatment of any condition.

The individual(s) who have written and created the content in and whose images appear in this article have been paid by Teva Pharmaceuticals for their contributions. This content represents the opinions of the contributor and does not necessarily reflect those of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Similarly, Teva Pharmaceuticals does not review, control, influence or endorse any content related to the contributor's websites or social media networks. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice or recommendations. Consult a qualified medical professional for diagnosis and before beginning or changing any treatment regimen.