Drug Delivery Devices in 2026: Wearable Injectors, Needle-Free Technology and Pharma Partnerships

Drug Delivery Devices Are Becoming Part of the Treatment Strategy

Drug delivery devices are no longer just containers for medicines. They influence how a therapy is administered, whether patients can use it at home, and how pharmaceutical companies differentiate their products.

Wearable injectors, large-volume subcutaneous delivery systems, needle-free technologies and connected devices are creating new development and partnership opportunities.

Three recent developments illustrate where companies are investing:

• $30 million: Sanofi committed this investment to Enable Injections in January 2026 to expand manufacturing capacity for its enFuse on-body delivery system.

• First pharma-sponsored clinical trial: BD announced a pharmaceutical-sponsored combination-product clinical trial using its Libertas wearable injector for biologic drugs in July 2025.

• £1.5 million funding: Scotland-based 1nhaler secured additional seed funding in November 2025 to advance its paper-based dry-powder inhaler toward commercialization.

These announcements represent three different commercial stages: manufacturing scale-up, clinical development and early-stage technology financing.

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1. Wearable Injectors: Making Large-Volume Biologics Easier to Administer

Some biologic medicines are difficult to deliver using conventional autoinjectors or standard injection volumes. Wearable injectors can provide an alternative by administering larger volumes subcutaneously over a defined period.

Enable Injections and Sanofi

Enable Injections develops the enFuse On-Body Delivery System, designed to administer large-volume medicines through subcutaneous injection.

In January 2026, Sanofi announced a $30 million investment to accelerate Enable's manufacturing expansion, strengthen its supply chain and support commercial growth. The announcement also highlighted applications for large-volume injectable therapies, including oncology.

What this signals for the industry

• Pharmaceutical companies may invest directly in device manufacturing capacity when a delivery platform is important to their product strategy.

• Device developers need to demonstrate reliable manufacturing, supply continuity and scalability, not just technical feasibility.

• CDMOs and component suppliers can assess opportunities linked to device assembly, filling, packaging and commercial supply.

For emerging device developers, a partnership with a pharmaceutical company can provide a route to scale, but it also creates demanding requirements around quality, validation and long-term supply.

2. BD Libertas: Pharma-Sponsored Development of Wearable Injectors

BD's Libertas wearable injector is designed for subcutaneous administration of complex biologics. BD describes configurations supporting 2–5 mL and 5–10 mL delivery, including formulations with viscosity up to 50 centipoise.

In July 2025, BD announced the first pharmaceutical-sponsored combination-product clinical trial using the platform. The company said the device was designed for patient-ready use without requiring the patient to fill or assemble it. <Cite refs={["turn513121search1"]}/>

BD's announcement is an important example of the shift toward collaborative drug-device development.

Commercial opportunity: Companies developing biologics should assess whether an alternative delivery format could support self-administration, reduce the need for clinic-based infusions or improve the patient experience.

Before selecting a wearable injector, pharma teams must evaluate formulation viscosity, injection volume, administration time, stability, human factors, manufacturing requirements and the regulatory pathway for the combined product.

Importantly, the July 2025 announcement described a product in development. A clinical trial announcement should not be interpreted as proof of regulatory approval or commercial availability.

3. 1nhaler: A Different Approach to Dry-Powder Inhalers

Not every drug delivery opportunity involves an injectable medicine.

1nhaler is developing a predominantly cardboard, single-dose dry-powder inhaler designed to fold into a compact format and expand for use. In November 2025, the company secured an additional £1.5 million in seed funding to advance clinical manufacturing, regulatory development and commercial-scale manufacturing processes.

The company targeted its first marketing authorization application for late 2027 in its funding announcement. It also identified manufacturing partnerships with Upperton for clinical manufacture and Harro Höfliger for large-scale manufacturing process development.

Why it matters commercially

• Inhaler developers can differentiate through portability, ease of use, manufacturing cost and environmental considerations.

• Drug developers may evaluate alternative device formats for new or existing inhaled medicines.

• Manufacturing partners can become important well before a product reaches commercial launch.

The opportunity remains developmental. The targeted application date is a company plan, not confirmation of regulatory approval.

4. Four Drug Delivery Segments Worth Tracking

Each segment has different technical and regulatory requirements. Needle-free delivery, for example, is not suitable for every drug or route of administration. Connected devices also need a clear use case, reliable data handling and evidence that digital features provide meaningful value.

5. Where Pharma Companies May Need a Device Partner

Pharmaceutical companies can require external device expertise at several points in a product's lifecycle.

During formulation development

Teams may need to test whether a drug's viscosity, dose volume, stability and material compatibility fit a particular delivery platform.

Before clinical trials

Developers may need prototype devices, usability testing, combination-product development support and validated manufacturing processes.

Before commercial launch

Companies may require production capacity, assembly and filling partners, quality systems, regulatory documentation and dependable component supply.

After launch

Potential needs include device improvements, lifecycle management, supply-chain resilience, patient support and adaptation for additional formulations or markets.

For device manufacturers, mapping pharmaceutical pipelines against these needs can help prioritize accounts that have a genuine technical reason to consider a new platform.

6. What Drug Delivery Device Manufacturers Should Track

A useful competitive intelligence program should cover more than product launches.

• Pipeline intelligence: Identify injectable and inhaled medicines that may benefit from a different administration format.

• Clinical milestones: Track drug-device combination trials, formulation studies and usability evidence.

• Manufacturing capacity: Monitor investment in filling, assembly, testing and commercial-scale production.

• Partnerships and licensing: Identify agreements between pharma companies, device developers and CDMOs.

• Regulatory progress: Distinguish prototypes and investigational systems from cleared, approved or commercially available products.

• Buyer identification: Map drug developers by therapeutic area, delivery route, dose requirements and development stage.

These data points help businesses distinguish promising technologies from platforms that already have a practical path toward a pharmaceutical partnership.

How Towards Healthcare Supports Drug Delivery Device Business Development

Towards Healthcare Research & Consulting helps pharmaceutical and medical device companies identify potential buyers, assess competing technologies and evaluate partnership opportunities through:

• Complete Master Datasets: Structured company, product and pipeline intelligence.

• Competitive Quadrants: Comparison of device manufacturers and delivery-platform capabilities.

• Pipeline Intelligence: Tracking of drug development programs and potential delivery needs.

• Customized Dashboards: Monitoring of launches, clinical milestones, investment and partnerships.

• Buyer Identification: Mapping of pharmaceutical companies and potential licensing partners.

• GTM Strategy: Prioritization of target accounts and commercial opportunities.

Looking for your next pharma partner? Identify which drug delivery technologies, companies and licensing opportunities deserve your attention.

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