The hypodermic syringe has been with us for more than 150 years. In that time it has undergone substantial development. Glass has been replaced by disposable plastic, but the needle, although now much smaller, is still firmly in evidence.

Nobody likes injections and many patients have needle phobia. For those who have to inject themselves several times daily, such as diabetics, there is a negative impact on the quality of life.

But Glide Pharma has developed a solution - a needle-free injection system with a difference.

Chief executive Dr Charles Potter said: "Ideally, a syringe needs to be used in a clean environment, but that's not always possible in harsh conditions like a developing country.

"Stick injuries can become infected and needles require disposal, normally high-temperature incineration.

"Vaccines also need refrigerated storage which is pretty difficult in remote locations and more than 50 per cent are thrown away for just this reason. And syringes can only handle liquids, which are typically less stable in storage than solids."

Glide's technology involves injecting using vaccine in a solid form without a needle. The first advantage is that it is simple and cheap to manufacture.

A mushroom-shaped disposable cassette contains a tiny pointed rod of drug much smaller than a grain of rice. The cassette is inserted in the nose of a spring-loaded device called the Glide Solid Dose Injector (SDI) which is then held against the skin.

Pressure releases the spring and the drug is pushed into the tissue.

Just one model can deal with any type of adult skin, from thin and delicate to thick and tough. For children, a paediatric model with a lighter spring will be considered later.

Dr Potter previously worked with Oxford firm Powderject, now Novartis, developing its needle-free system, and is aware of problems that can arise.

He explained: "The Powderject technology involves firing the drug using helium to inject microscopic particles.

"Those particles ideally need to be of identical size and that's tricky, plus the gas system itself is quite complex.

With firing, it's very hard to control the injection depth, especially with different types of skin.

"Powderject's system is still being perfected, but it's taken a long while. Seeing those problems is what led me to invent the Glide SDI."

The Glide system has three aims - accuracy, reliability and repeatability. The SDI ticks all three boxes.

The dose can be delivered in three ways - immediate, controlled release, or where an initial prime dose needs to be followed by a boost days, or even weeks later, that too can be achieved by pulsed release.

Ease of use means training is a matter of seconds and purely visual, so trainer and trainee do not need to share a language.

In emergency situations, that could be vital.

Glide's product has attracted strong interest from the big pharmaceutical companies on two fronts - biologics for home use and vaccines. Biologics include treatments such as insulin, growth hormone, interferon and fertility drugs. Self-administration allows patients to control their lifestyle and eliminates the need for a visit from a nurse, so reducing health costs.

Vaccine delivery offers markets in the industrialised nations, developing countries and emergencies such as bioterrorism and pandemics.

In both instances, swift inoculation of large populations is imperative, but healthcare professionals may not be available.

Influenza demands two injections two weeks apart. Inoculating populations once is hard enough, doing so twice presents a logistics nightmare. Glide's system could allow kits to be delivered, or held at home and self-administered.

The company is now working with a number of pharmaceutical giants to supply clinical trials equipment so that each can test its own drugs using the system.

The majority of Glide's 16 staff are focused on developing formulations and cassettes for a variety of treatments, but Dr Potter estimates they are up to three years away from putting a product on the market. But once in production, costs will be competitive with hypodermics.

Glide Pharma was established in 2001 as Caretek Medical, changing its name in 2006. Until early 2005, Dr Potter worked alone, not only developing his idea, but attracting interest from drug companies, doctors and patients.

Seed funding from Oxford Venture Capital Trusts paid for a trial to gauge patient reaction to the Glide system versus needles.

Overwhelmingly, the patients voted for Glide.

Funding rounds in 2005 and 2007 have all been oversubscribed and in total have raised £4.9m from mainly local venture capital firms and business angels.

Now the company is being courted by larger venture capital organisations, which may well prove useful for the next round.

Dr Potter said: "It is a simple technology that people can relate to and buy into. It feels real. Our name change was part of getting the company positioned correctly.

"Now the aim is to get product on to the market as soon as possible."

Name: Glide Pharmaceutical Technologies Established: 2002 Chief executive: Dr Charles Potter Number of staff: 16 Annual turnover: Confidential Contact: 08700 853700 Website: www.glidepharma.com