A tiny implant is placed in the eye, gradually releasing medication. A capsule containing living cells works inside the body as a miniature production unit for a therapeutic protein. A single injection provides protection against HIV for six months.
Another treatment seeks to replace daily insulin injections with one injection a week. In the upper arm, a thin contraceptive implant can now remain in place for five years. Treatment is changing form — and with it, the relationship between patients and their medication.
A review of official announcements, approvals and assessments by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and its US counterpart, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), illustrates the extent to which the management of various diseases and conditions traditionally treated with pills and injections is changing.
Dozens of innovative approaches from pharmaceutical companies around the world are currently undergoing studies, with the coming years expected to prove particularly significant for medicine worldwide.
Six months of treatment with one “refill”
In July 2026, the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued a positive opinion on Susvimo, a treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration, a serious condition that can cause loss of central vision.
Instead of administering the active substance through conventional repeated injections into the eye, a small, refillable implant is surgically inserted and gradually releases ranibizumab.
The implant is refilled every 24 weeks. According to the EMA, a Phase 3 study found that results in terms of maintaining vision were comparable to those achieved with injections administered every four weeks.
For an elderly patient, the difference between undergoing a procedure every month and one every six months is far from insignificant. It can mean fewer appointments, less travelling, reduced dependence on relatives and a lower psychological burden.
However, the treatment is not without costs or risks. The implant requires surgical placement, refilling by a specialist and regular monitoring. Moreover, a positive CHMP opinion represents an important, but not final, stage in the European authorisation process.
Living cells inside the eye
Even more striking is a treatment approved by the FDA in March 2025. Encelto is intended for adults with idiopathic macular telangiectasia type 2, a rare degenerative retinal disease.
What makes the implant particularly unusual is that it does not simply contain a supply of ready-made medication.
Instead, it contains encapsulated allogeneic cells that have been genetically modified to produce a therapeutic protein. The FDA classifies the product as a cellular gene therapy.
Put simply, a tiny biological production unit is implanted in the eye. Rather than the therapeutic substance being produced solely in a pharmaceutical factory, packaged and subsequently administered to the patient, it is continuously produced where it is needed.
The concept may sound like science fiction. Nevertheless, even minor interventions in the human body can be accompanied by side effects and complications. These risks must always be weighed against the potential benefits for the patient.
One injection every six months
In HIV prevention, the challenge has not always been the effectiveness of medication. Adherence to a daily treatment regimen has also been a major issue.
Lenacapavir, marketed in Europe under the name Yeytuo, received European Union marketing authorisation in August 2025 for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, commonly known as PrEP. Following the initial doses, it is administered through a subcutaneous injection every six months.
In one of the main studies, no new HIV infections were recorded among 2,134 people who received the treatment. In a second study, two infections were recorded among 2,179 participants.
In this case, however, convenience must not replace caution. According to official warnings, HIV testing is required before each administration and the treatment schedule must be followed.
The medication remains in the body for an extended period and cannot simply be withdrawn in the same way as a pill that a patient can stop taking.
From 365 injections to 52
In June 2026, the EMA’s relevant committee issued a positive opinion on Onswik, a basal insulin administered once a week to adults with type 2 diabetes.
In the QWINT 1-4 studies, weekly insulin achieved reductions in glycated haemoglobin comparable to those recorded with daily basal insulin.
According to the data released, this could mean approximately 52 injections per year instead of 365.
Reducing the number of doses could particularly benefit patients who struggle to adhere consistently to their treatment regimen.
Five years of contraception
In January 2026, the FDA extended the approved duration of use of Nexplanon to five years. Nexplanon is a thin contraceptive implant inserted beneath the skin of the upper arm.
The implant continuously releases a small amount of etonogestrel and must be removed no later than the end of the fifth year.
The development highlights another aspect of medical innovation: an entirely new drug is not always necessary. New scientific evidence can allow an established treatment to be used safely for a longer period.
In contraception, however, the issue of patient autonomy also comes sharply into focus. Both insertion and removal require a trained healthcare professional.
While a woman is no longer dependent on taking a pill every day, she remains dependent on access to healthcare services when she wishes to have the implant removed.
Careful assessment and sound medical judgement
Long-acting treatments promise fewer doses, fewer visits to doctors, better treatment adherence and greater freedom in patients’ everyday lives.
For an elderly person who needs assistance travelling to hospital, or for a patient who takes several medications every day, the difference can be significant.
From the perspective of healthcare systems, however, an implant may cost considerably more than a single injection. With the rapid development of these technologies, the current landscape could nevertheless change dramatically before the end of this decade.
For patients, the most important consideration is that appropriate medical advice is essential in every case.
Treatment decisions are never based solely on a particular disease or condition, but also on the individual circumstances and characteristics of each patient.
Source: Marilena Panayi- Phileleutheros
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