Two companies announced Friday that they had completed plans to manufacture commercially a needle-free device which injects drugs at supersonic speed. The device, which injects powdered drugs "painlessly" through the skin at 1,700 miles per hour, or more than twice the speed of sound, will be produced by Powderject Pharmaceuticals Plc and BOC Group Plc, a British industrial gases group. Powderject says the injection system, powered by BOC's helium micro-cylinder, can be used by anyone and is therefore ideal for people such as diabetics who have to inject themselves regularly with insulin.

The helium in the delivery system acts as the energy source which when released breaks a membrane and releases the fine, powdered drug particles. The prototype technology in 1993 "looked like a Bazooka and sounded like a Bazooka," said Paul Drayson, Powderject founder and chief executive officer, but a Powderject spokeswoman said the current device was around the shape of a cigar, and made very little noise. BOC will be responsible for building, managing and funding the first commercial-scale micro-cylinder production facility, due to start production in early 2002. Powderject said BOC would add further plants around the world as the business grows. "This large-scale manufacturing agreement reflects the great progress we have made in assembling the infrastructure required to commercialize our innovative technology," said Drayson. PowderJect, which evolved from work at Oxford University, said the six-inch-long device did not rely on needles.

But it will certainly have a huge impact on the multi-billion dollar needle industry. "This is an exciting new product and business area for BOC, offering significant growth potential," Andy Hobart, BOC director of special products, said in a statement. Powderject is due to conduct final testing on the device in 2001, a company spokesman said. PowderJect, which used to be known as Oxford Biosciences, has yet to launch any of its products ? it is expected to start doing so in three years ? but is working on applications to deliver vaccines to counter a range of diseases including hepatitis, erectile dysfunction and influenza. BOC is in the process of being taken over by France's Air Liquide and U.S.-based Air Products and Chemicals Inc, who agreed last July to buy BOC for $11.2 billion and share it between themselves.