Reusability simplified: the journey to develop a sustainable, low-cost, reusable autoinjector

Reusable autoinjectors have the potential to reduce both the cost and environmental impact of drug delivery, especially when considering chronic conditions which require frequent dosing. The goal of this project was to design a low-cost reusable autoinjector that can realize these benefits and contribute to AstraZeneca’s ambitious sustainability goals, while simultaneously providing a highly intuitive, user-friendly administration experience.

Duncan Paterson, Senior Director, Device Development, AstraZeneca

Compared to single use autoinjectors, a reusable component inevitably adds use steps to load, unload and reset the device for each dose. Through rapid iterative cycles of user testing and design improvements, we have ensured these additional steps are intuitive and straightforward for users. The innovative all-mechanical reusable design delivers the usability and safety of an autoinjector whilst also achieving the cost and sustainability goals required by AstraZeneca.

Michael Herd, Senior Engineering Consultant, Team Consulting