IMS 2025: On-Body Injector (OBI) Technology Streamlines Oncology Care, Enhancing Safety and Efficiency for Pharmacists and Nurses

At the 22nd annual International Myeloma Society (IMS) meeting, Xavier Leleu, MD, PhD, a leading hematologist from Hôpital La Mileterie, highlighted the transformative impact of On-Body Injector (OBI) technology on clinical workflows for administering oncology treatments, specifically Sarclisa-based (isatuximab) regimens.

Dr. Leleu emphasized that the fully automated OBI is a game-changer that improves satisfaction across the entire care team—pharmacists, nurses, and patients—by addressing key logistical and procedural challenges associated with traditional IV infusion and manual subcutaneous (SC) pushes.

Key Benefits for Healthcare Professionals

The OBI is designed to administer high-volume subcutaneous medicines automatically, freeing up clinical resources and streamlining the process:

For Pharmacists: Simplified Preparation and Time Savings

Eliminated Reconstitution: For traditional IV administration, pharmacists spend significant time preparing and reconstituting drugs like isatuximab. The OBI is expected to be commercialized as a combined product (OBI device with the vial already together), which eliminates the need for complex, time-consuming reconstitution and separate storage.
Ultra-Quick Workflow: The “vial plugged in” and “no reconstitution required” nature of the combined product makes delivery and eventual product destruction simple and time-saving compared to preparing an IV bag or a manual SC push.

For Nurses: Hands-Free Administration and Improved Throughput

Hands-Free Delivery: In contrast to a manual subcutaneous push (like daratumumab), which requires a nurse to be “stuck” with one patient for several minutes, the OBI is completely automated. After initial patient education, the patient adheres the patch and pushes a button to start the injection.
Time Savings: This hands-free process allows nurses to move on to other critical tasks or patients simultaneously, significantly improving clinic efficiency and throughput, especially in busy outpatient settings.
Reduced Physical Strain: The automated injection eliminates the sustained manual effort and potential physical strain associated with pushing large-volume, potentially viscous SC drugs via a syringe.

Enhancing Patient Safety and Experience

The OBI also delivers substantial advantages for the patient, supporting safer and more comfortable treatment:

Minimized Local Reactions: Clinical data, including from the HERACLES study (for isatuximab subcutaneous), showed an excellent local tolerability profile. The rate of local reactions with isatuximab OBI was only 1.5% (all Grade 1), which is significantly lower than the approximately 7% reported for daratumumab SC in published studies. This is crucial for diverse patient populations, including the elderly or those with comorbidities like obesity or diabetes.
Automated and Efficient Delivery: The device ensures consistent and effective drug administration. In the HERACLES study, 97% of patients completed treatment within 20 minutes (median time of 12 minutes), and 100% of injections were successful, with no device failures reported.
Improved Quality of Life: The speed, convenience, and automation of the OBI empower patients, giving them a greater sense of control and allowing them to complete treatment safely and efficiently, thereby improving their overall satisfaction and quality of life.

Dr. Leleu concluded that the OBI is “going to make a tremendous difference for the entire team,” promoting better adherence, broader use of effective regimens like Sarclisa-based therapies, and a higher standard of patient-centric care in oncology.