IBSA: "Drugs in the best form", for a greater adherence to therapy

"Therapeutic adherence is the degree to which the patient follows the doctor’s recommendations regarding doses, timing and frequency of intake of a drug for the entire duration of the therapy".

It therefore requires the patient’s agreement with – and active involvement in – the doctor’s recommendations, according to a model of therapeutic alliance. For these reasons, an inadequate adherence leads to the loss of efficacy of the pharmacological therapies, with a strong impact on the clinical outcomes and the costs of care. The analyses contained in the OsMed 2020 Report1 revealed that in Italy adherence to therapy has very low values, ​​with a coverage percentage of less than 40%2 among patients who use drugs for the most common chronic diseases.

IBSA – a Company with a strong vocation for scientific and technological innovation – decided to use its know-how and expertise in the research and development of the "best form of drugs", that is, solutions and therapeutic formulations that are not only effective, but that also have the "right format" for the patients who have to take them every day. Valuing people by focusing on the humanization of care means precisely this: focusing attention on the concrete needs of patients, by directing research and investing in new forms of administration and delivery.

As explained by Andrea Giori, Head of Research & Development at IBSA, the Company is able to develop, starting from already known active ingredients, drugs based on new forms of administration, as well as delivery systems that allow the patient a better compliance, and therefore a greater adherence to therapy. Among these new forms are the following:

• the development of soft gelatine capsules, which allow the encapsulation of a liquid matrix, in suspension or gel, within a continuous shell of soft gelatine, thus improving the oral intake of the drug (odour and/or flavour) by overcoming any palatability problem;
• medicated patches which, in addition to the simplicity of use, allow the constant release of the active ingredient, with a therapeutic effect that is maintained for up to 24 hours;
• and, finally, the orodispersible films (ODF), also called orosoluble films or oral films, which are a new oral dosage form whose characteristics can improve the adherence to treatment of people with needs not satisfied by capsules and tablets. They are small, thin, flexible, stamp-like sheets that dissolve quickly in contact with saliva, without the need to drink water, and therefore suitable for the elderly and children, as well as all people with swallowing problems.

"What drives innovation in IBSA are the patients: after listening to them and discussing their real needs, we direct research, while investing in new forms of administration and delivery systems", concluded Andrea Giori.

The technologies developed by IBSA – and the innovation behind them – represent the quality and excellence of the scientific research Made in Italy.