Subcutaneous drug delivery: a route to increased safety, patient satisfaction, and reduced costs

The subcutaneous (SC) route of administration is generally preferred over intravenous administration because it enables at-home injection, improves quality of life, and reduces health care costs. In general, a volume of no greater than 1 to 2 mL is injected SC; however, for high-dose agents with limited solubility, such as monoclonal antibodies, larger volumes must be administered, which requires divided doses, smaller volumes, or more frequent dose administration. Therapeutics are being formulated with an enzyme, recombinant human hyaluronidase, to enhance the dispersion and absorption of SC administered therapeutics by transiently depolymerizing hyaluronan, a major component of the interstitial matrix.