Results from a study assessing the use of the OXO-designed Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol) syringe showed patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rated it higher on 19 preference and performance-based scores, when compared to the conventional prefilled syringe used in the pivotal registration study RAPID 2.
Additionally, the results, recently published in Applied Ergonomics, showed that 77% of the patients involved in the study were able to exert greater force when using the OXO-designed syringe compared with the conventional prefilled syringe.
“If untreated, the effects of RA can often limit a patient’s hand strength and dexterity, which can lead to difficulties in self-administering medication at home,” said Michael Schiff, MD, from the University of Colorado, USA.
“The results reinforce the importance of understanding the limitations RA can impose on a person’s daily activity and the importance of providing solutions to patients that will improve the everyday management of their disease.”
The study assessed the effect of syringe design on the ability of RA patients to perform injections. Twenty-three RA patients participated in this study to compare preferences and injection forces using a conventional syringe and the OXO-designed certolizumab pegol syringe.
Injection force measurements were collected in two ways:
(a) isometric forces, with the syringes’ plungers in fixed positions
(b) forces exerted during injection of the medication
Subjects’ grip and pinch strengths were also measured. Using a seven-point scale (1 was the worst and 7 the best rating), a perception questionnaire gauged subjects’ impressions and preferences.
Injections were performed using simulated skin pads. One syringe, referred to as the RAPID 2 syringe, was a standard, pre-filled, “off-the-shelf” syringe. The second was the ergonomically designed syringe created by Smart Design, OXO, and UCB.
As part of the study, a patient questionnaire evaluated perceptions of the two prefilled syringes and compared patient views on ease-of-use, physical characteristics and general preferences across 20 different attributes.
Of the 20 attributes, 15 were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level, and 16 were statistically significant at the 90% confidence level.
Results showed that patients found the OXO-designed syringe more comfortable (6.0 (±1.0*)) vs. 4.2 (±1.7*)) and easier to inject (5.5 (±1.3*)) vs. 4.0 (±1.8*)) than the traditional syringe.
Furthermore, patients agreed the OXO-designed syringe provided more control (5.5 (±1.7*) vs. 4.4 (±2.0*)) and the larger design of the plunger made injections easier (5.7 (±1.7*) vs. 4.3 (±2.0*)).
