Eli Lilly and Company announced the launch of the first insulin pen with memory, HumaPen(R) MEMOIR(TM), to help simplify the daily management of diabetes.
MEMOIR is designed to meet the needs of people with diabetes who take several shots of mealtime insulin each day. It presents sophisticated technology and features in a consumer-friendly “push-to-know” digital display that allows patients to record and review their last 16 insulin doses, including the priming doses.
Many insulin users need multiple shots per day, so the ability to record doses and the time of the dose may help simplify the daily management of diabetes. This is especially important for both patients and physicians when developing a diabetes treatment plan that utilizes accurate recording of mealtime doses. MEMOIR is now available by prescription in pharmacies nationwide for use with Humalog(R) (insulin lispro injection [rDNA origin]), the most-prescribed mealtime insulin in the United States.
Lilly also announced today that it will launch an insulin pen that delivers Humalog in smaller increments, HumaPen(R) LUXURA(TM) HD, in April 2007. LUXURA HD is a reusable pen that can deliver from 1-to-30 units of Humalog in half-unit increments, beginning after the first unit. This type of pen may be attractive to people with diabetes that do not need large amounts of insulin, or parents of some children with diabetes. LUXURA HD will require a prescription.
Insulin pens were developed on the premise that delivery devices that are more acceptable to patients could improve patient compliance and make a positive contribution to long-term diabetes control. (1) Unlike traditional insulin pens or vial and syringe, MEMOIR doesn’t resemble a medical instrument. MEMOIR, which is reusable, is sleek and designed to resemble a writing pen, enabling the potential for more discreet injections in public compared to using a vial and syringe.
In a clinical study of experienced pen users, 81 percent of patients preferred MEMOIR over the pen they were using before joining the study. MEMOIR was considered easier and more convenient to use than the pre-study pen and rated higher for certain pen features and most tasks related to dosing.1 MEMOIR was developed in partnership with Battelle Medical Device Solutions, a leader in device innovation based in Columbus, Ohio.
Of the 21 million people with diabetes in the United States, more than four million currently use insulin to help manage their blood sugar.
“I see real advantages in a new tool such as MEMOIR that remembers recent insulin doses, including the priming doses. The daily routine of balancing meals and blood sugar readings with multiple insulin injections can be cumbersome and overwhelming for patients,” said Linda Siminerio, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and executive director, University of Pittsburgh Diabetes Institute; and senior vice president, International Diabetes Federation. “Anything that helps simplify the management of this disease and puts patients in a better position to self-manage is beneficial.”