Novo Nordisk has launched NovoRapid® PumpCart®, the first prefilled pump cartridge with an insulin analogue that has been specifically designed for insulin pumps. This new treatment solution, which contains NovoRapid® (insulin aspart) – a rapid-acting insulin from Novo Nordisk – is expected to make insulin pump therapy more convenient for people with diabetes and their care staff.
The 1.6ml cartridge is developed in a non-exclusive partnership between Roche Diabetes Care and Novo Nordisk and is compatible with the new Accu-Chek® Insight insulin pump therapy system from Roche Diabetes Care.
“One of the challenges in operating a traditional pump lies in the manual filling of the insulin reservoir, a procedure with multiple steps, which can often be perceived as a complex and time-consuming process by patients and healthcare professionals alike,” commented Dr Parth Narendran, clinical senior lecturer and honorary consultant in medicine at the University of Birmingham.
He continued: “This can be a difficult hurdle to overcome when starting on insulin pump therapy, and is exacerbated by the extensive amount of time needed by healthcare staff to provide the necessary support during pump initiation. A simpler process could address this issue and deliver tangible benefits for those patients who rely on insulin pump therapy every day to manage their diabetes.”
Compared to multiple daily injections, insulin pumps can provide greater flexibility of lifestyle and potentially tighter blood glucose control without an increased risk of hypoglycaemia. (1,2)
“This can provide benefits to certain patients,” explained Dr Mark Evans, lecturer and honorary consultant in medicine at the University of Cambridge. “In Europe, we’ve seen a slow but steady increase in insulin pump therapy uptake in recent years, but there is still room for improvement; in the United Kingdom pumps are currently used by 19% of children and 6% of adults with type 1 diabetes.”
NovoRapid® PumpCart® is being launched in the UK, Sweden and Austria today and will be made available in more European countries throughout 2015 and 2016. The Accu-Chek® Insight insulin pump therapy system has been launched in Austria in the first half of this year and is being launched in the UK today, with other European markets following throughout 2015.
About Insulin Pump Therapy
An insulin pump delivers insulin from a reservoir inside the pump to a patient’s body using an infusion set and a tiny cannula. Insulin pumps use fast-acting insulin such as insulin aspart. The insulin is delivered using continuous infusion and is often used by people with type 1 diabetes who receive intensified insulin therapy and test their blood glucose levels on a regular basis. An insulin pump is suitable for certain patients and provides more flexibility, with the potential to improve glycaemic control and quality of life. (1,2) In Europe, use of insulin pumps among people with type 1 diabetes varies with less than 5% using a pump in some countries to more than 15% in other countries. In the US, 40% are treated with insulin from a pump. (3)
About NovoRapid®
NovoRapid® (insulin aspart) is a mealtime insulin analogue indicated for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in adults, adolescents, children aged 2 years and above and can be used in pregnancy. NovoRapid® has been available for use in Europe since 1999 and is approved in more than 100 countries.
References:
- Cohen ND, et al. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2013;15:544–9.
- Pickup J. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2012;8:425–33.
- Pickup J. Insulin pumps. Int J Clin Pract. 2011;65(Suppl.170):16–19.
