Eli Lilly is set on releasing a new line of digital insulin pens for the US market, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Currently available in Europe, Huma-Pen Memoir is thought to help patients manage their insulin dosages and avoid dangerous overdoses.
The injector, which hides a hypodermic needle, was unveiled today at Battelle. It is the newest in a line the lab designed for Eli Lilly, the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company.
The device, called the Huma-Pen Memoir, uses insulin cartridges. It will go on sale next week and retail for about $45.
“It allows the user to dial the amount of insulin they need to take. Most people take insulin three or four times a day, depending on when they eat,” said Doug Boyd, who led the Battelle development team.
The HumaPen records the dose, date and time of the past 16 injections. The memory is a safety feature for diabetics.
“Overdosing is life-threatening,” Boyd said.
The pen, designed to last about three years, contains 115 parts.
“Put it on your stomach and push the top and hold it for five seconds,” said Lilly spokesman Scott MacGregor.
A fresh half-inch needle is inserted for each use. Replace the cap after the injection and the device looks like a fountain pen.
“It’s innocuous. … Diabetics want to live a normal life,” said Herb Bresler, chief scientist in Battelle’s Health and Life Science Division.
Read more here . . .
More from the AP…
Product page (.pdf) for Finland (sorry, but this is the only one that we could find)…