The first insulin pen was launched in 1985. Today, insulin pens are more technologically advanced, easier to learn and use, more convenient and more accessible than the original pens. Novo Nordisk's commitment to device innovation has led to continuous improvement of insulin pens over the last 25 years.
| |
 |
|
Patients prefer insulin pens to vials and syringes and they put more trust in them to deliver an accurate dose of insulin. A review of 41 papers on patient-reported outcomes with vials and syringes or insulin pens found that a majority of studies indicated a patient preference for insulin pens in terms of acceptability, treatment satisfaction, ease of use, convenience, injection pain, handling and dosing. Insulin pens now have easier-to-read dials, the ability to dial forwards and backwards, an audible click that tells patients when the full dose has been delivered, lower required injection forces, and smaller needles resulting in less pain for the patient. In a blinded non-clinical study comparing the ease of use of three durable insulin pens, patients with diabetes preferred the pen that was easier to learn to use, easier to inject, and had a dial that was easier to read. This improved handling instills greater self confidence when starting insulin and encourages good compliance.
Prefilled pens have fully integrated insulin cartridges and pens are discarded after use. Most prefilled pens hold 300 units of insulin. They require minimal training and attention to detail to enable use.
Durable pens which have a lifetime of up to 5 years contain replaceable cartridges of insulin; patients simply insert the insulin cartridge, and then are able to dial and deliver their dose. When the cartridge is empty, it is discarded and a new one inserted.
Insulin pens for the paediatric segment are designed to give children confidence in learning insulin self-administration. Features such as half-unit dosing, a memory function, easy-to-reload cartridges, and customised skins can all contribute to ease of use in younger patients.
Insulin pens can be used with shorter, finer or thinner-walled needles than are available for use with a traditional syringe. Shorter, finer needles are preferred by patients and thinner-walled needles can be less frightening, less painful, and cause less frequent bleeding and bruising. The most recently introduced needles are also easier to attach to the pens.
With a range of prefilled and durable pens designed to meet patient needs, Novo Nordisk continues to be at the forefront of developments in device technology, creating improved delivery devices to complement its range of modern insulins.