The importance of subcutaneous administration is growing, for the most part due to many advantages this route of drug administration offers both for the patient and the healthcare system in general.
Using the online databases PubMed and ScienceDirect, we investigated the field of subcutaneous administration with regard to active ingredients and technological approaches in the design of formulations for subcutaneous delivery, over different time periods, namely from 2013 to 2017 and from 2018 to 01/2023. The number of articles increased with each period, with research articles being the most prominent, with a total of 153 articles compared to 45 review articles. In the field of subcutaneous administration, the main focus of research is on active substances that are or could be suitable for subcutaneous administration, in particular active substances of biological origin for the treatment of autoimmune diseases (e.g. psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis). Researchers are also focusing on the investigation of different technologies for the production and use of new innovative excipients (e.g. recombinant human hyaluronidase) in formulations.
Using the Central Medicines Database, we have made a selection of all subcutaneous medicinal products with a currently valid marketing authorisation, whether they are available on the market or have a notified supply disruption or an ongoing suspension (currently 221). We have found that the majority of subcutaneous medicinal products in Slovenia are in the form of an injectable solution. The insulin group stands out on the market, followed by various active substances of biological origin. Originators currently dominate in Slovenia, but the difference is almost negligible compared to generics. Using the summary of the main characteristics of medicinal products available on the Central Medicines Database, we have summarised all excipients used in subcutaneous injectable medicinal products currently available on the Slovenian market. We found that the excipients used can be divided into several groups according to their role in the formulation (e.g. buffers, adjuvants, solubilisers, osmolarity adjusters). However, the use of each group of excipients is closely related to the pharmaceutical form of medicinal product for subcutaneous delivery.
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