The rising incidence of diabetes, on account of the lack of access to preventive care and the adoption of sedentary lifestyles, and the surging public awareness about the safety issues associated with needles are the major factors driving the demand for needle-free diabetes management solutions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes claims the lives of 1.6 million people every year. Moreover, the organization found that in 2019, around 1.5 million deaths were caused because of diabetes.
Furthermore, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that the number of diabetic people will rise to 642 million by 2040. Insulin is commonly delivered with the help of pen injectors, insulin pumps, jet injectors, and insulin syringes. Amongst these, insulin syringes are the most widely used delivery systems for self-medication. However, these devices are not convenient for patients as they cause needle-stick injuries and carry other safety risks. This is why the usage of needle-free diabetes management devices is surging sharply across the world.
Needle stick injuries are fairly common during insulin administration and they can cause blood-borne pathogen transmission. As a result, both patients and healthcare professionals experience emotional distress, fear, and anxiety because of needle stick injuries. As per the findings of the WHO, around 16 billion injections are administered in people every year. However, as these injections are predominantly responsible for various injuries and the needles and syringes are not always properly disposed of, the demand for needle-free diabetes management solutions and devices is soaring in the healthcare sector, thereby causing the growth of the global needle-free diabetes management market.
According to the estimates of the market research company, P&S Intelligence, the market revenue will rise from $3,830.6 million in 2016 to $16.8 billion by 2025. Furthermore, the market is expected to progress at a CAGR of 17.8% from 2017 to 2025. Some of the major problems associated with parenteral drug delivery processes are the lack of convenience, accuracy, safety, sterility, and affordability. As needle-free diabetes management devices are safer and easier to use, they are being increasingly preferred by both patients and healthcare practitioners.
These devices release insulin at a high speed, which penetrates the skin for intramuscular, subcutaneous, or intradermal administration. Diagnostic devices, artificial pancreas, and treatment devices are the most commonly used types of needle-free diabetes management devices. While the treatment devices are used for administering or infusing insulin in diabetic patients, diagnostic devices are used for monitoring the blood glucose levels without employing the use of needles. On the other hand, artificial pancreas operates just like healthy pancreas by monitoring blood sugar levels automatically.
Hence, it is safe to say that due to the growing prevalence of diabetes and the rising public awareness about the various safety and health risks associated with needles and insulin syringes, the demand for needle-free diabetes management solutions and devices is booming all over the world.