Implantable Drug Delivery: Are We There Yet?

By Breck Petrillo, Sr. Director, Commercial Business Development, Battelle Health

Implantable drug delivery systems (IDDS) represent a transformative shift in managing chronic conditions, moving beyond traditional oral or injectable routes toward sustained, localized, and programmable therapies. By focusing delivery on specific anatomical regions like the eye, spine, and cardiovascular system, these devices significantly improve patient adherence and clinical outcomes while reducing systemic side effects.

However, achieving broad clinical adoption requires overcoming complex biological and technical hurdles. Challenges such as crossing the blood-brain barrier, managing immune responses, and ensuring device stability remain at the forefront of innovation. While applications for chronic pain and contraception are well-established, the industry is still evolving toward smarter, miniaturized implants capable of real-time, adaptive dosing. Understanding the interplay between market dynamics, regulatory pathways, and patient preference is essential for any stakeholder in this space.