Sekurus™ world’s first self-tenting injector

Pfizer Animal Health (Zoetis) issued Simcro with a demanding brief, to create a genuine two-stage safety injector that minimised the risk of self-injection by the user, administered the product at a precise depth to ensure efficacy, and satisfied animal welfare criteria.

Several concepts were trialled, the patented double over-centre hinge concept was developed which is the genius within Sekurus. This concept gave birth to the safety injector that Pfizer had been looking for and allowed the further development of the patented self-tenting needle guard. Together these innovations have created the ability to perform one-handed subcutaneous injections, completely satisfying the original challenge presented by Pfizer.

The design of the Sekurus has several additional benefits:

  • The protective needle guard ensures the risk of self-injection is minimised, even when Sekurus is not in use.
  • The two-stage action specific to Sekurus ensures that administration of the pharmaceutical will not occur until the needle reaches maximum penetration depth.
  • The potential for needle breakage during operation is significantly reduced maintaining a high level of food chain integrity.
  • Administering a one-handed subcutaneous injection is far easier and less hazardous for the operator than two-handed techniques, particularly in confined spaces such as cattle crush.
  • One-handed injection techniques are much less invasive of an animal’s space, particularly in the head region, reducing stress and animal discomfort.
  • The needle guard makes needle changeover a much safer and faster task, reducing the risk of needle-stick injuries.
  • Increased administration speed by proficient users of Sekurus.

The Sekurus has won numerous design awards for its innovative design and proven accuracy. It reflects Simcro’s commitment to the principles of animal welfare, operator safety, treatment efficacy, user experience and commercial viability.

Categories
Stories

Partner. Innovate. Deliver.

A Simcro solution is built on solid partnerships, genuine innovation and trusted ability to deliver. With a long history in pharmaceutical delivery our focus is on the future.

As the world grows, the pressure is on to develop more efficacious pharmaceutical treatments for production and companion animals. This can often mean creating compounds that are challenging or even dangerous to administer using traditional delivery system methodologies. Simcro has proven experience creating highly innovative solutions to administer these discoveries effectively, efficiently, and safely.

Our most recent developments, such as the Optiline™ sheep drencher for Novartis Animal Health, the Sekurus™ safety injector family for Pfizer Animal Health, and the intramammary syringe for Merial, have all overcome significant challenges that previously had never been solved. These projects highlight Simcro’s ability to deliver solutions that others can’t imagine.

We also know there’s more to consider than simply delivering an unfailingly accurate dose. Our solutions are fully integrated and include primary and secondary packaging, protective shrouds and related accessories. A focus on animal welfare, operator safety, treatment efficacy, user experience and commercial viability are the hallmarks of our products. Simcro products enhance the value of our clients’ brands.

Simcro Partners, Innovates and Delivers.

The Optiline™ Drencher

The Optiline™ sheep drencher is the world’s first in-line drencher and its unique design is no accident. The long list of features that have made it so popular stem from Simcro’s ability to Partner, Innovate and Deliver.

Novartis were looking for a delivery solution for ZOLVIX® the ground breaking sheep drench and first new class of anthelmintic in over 25 years. Novartis was clear in their requirements; they wanted a drenching system that would be as revolutionary as the product it delivered. In typical Simcro fashion, the technical team conceptualised delivery systems that were a radical departure from the traditional delivery systems that would raise the bar significantly for what farmers would expect in drenching equipment. Novartis selected Simcro as the development partner because they had complete confidence in our innovation, our technical abilities and proven track record of maintaining strict confidentiality.

The core of the Optiline™ solution came from Simcro’s unique approach to innovation. We avoid getting stuck in any one method of application, considering all possibilities before deciding on a final concept. The in-line drench method at the heart of the Optiline™ may seem familiar to those with hands-on experience in the farming industry. It uses the same hand and arm positioning as drenching with a bottle, although the similarities stop there. With an ergonomic mode of action, patented dose lock, internal valving technology, and a unique nozzle design, the Optiline™ sheep drencher has transformed the way sheep will be drenched in the future.

The commercialized Optiline™ sheep drencher is completely tailored to Novartis requirements with Simcro exceeding expectations throughout the project. While the brief may have been for a drencher, the Optiline’s success has come through Simcro’s collaboration with Novartis in all aspects of the delivery system, from backpacks and harness through to the drencher itself. The true mark of Simcro’s success has been the very successful commercial launch of ZOLVIX®, in part attributable to the innovative method of application.

Categories
Stories Stories Stories

Deceptively simple protection

Delivery systems are not simply an injector or an applicator. They are an integrated system from the product reservoir through to the point that the pharmaceutical product reaches the desired location.

Our design capability and experience enables Simcro to consider all aspects of the delivery system from primary and secondary packaging, to bottle protectors, fluid transfer components and the delivery device itself, ensuring the entire system will successfully deliver the pharmaceutical product to the customers expectations.

Take our bottle protector for Draxxin® as an example. The Simcro bottle protector looks deceptively simple. In fact, a bottle within this sleeve can survive a 1.2m fall onto a concrete surface at -20°C without risk of breakage.

Within this innovative design, Simcro have allowed for the two Draxxin® bottles of the same volumetric size, yet quite different shapes, to be fully protected when fitted into the sleeve. This is achieved by securing the bottle with two sets of snap tabs, ensuring that the product, in either bottle, is held secure while allowing easy loading and reloading as the job demands. Like many Simcro solutions, the Draxxin® bottle sleeve is well-engineered simplicity.