Danish healthcare firm Novo Nordisk has unveiled plans to introduce new durable, connected insulin pens in early 2019.
Image: Novo Nordisk headquarters, Denmark. Photo: courtesy of Novo Nordisk A/S.
The new NovoPen 6 and NovoPen Echo Plus connected insulin pens will replace the NovoPen 5 and NovoPen Echo insulin pens.
Novo Nordisk will commence the launch of new connected insulin pens in the first quarter of 2019. They are expected to be available in more than 50 countries.
The company expects to deliver connectivity for its disposable, pre-filled injection pens later in 2019.
Novo Nordisk commercial strategy and corporate affairs executive vice president said: “Our non-exclusive partnership strategy allows us to integrate with the various digital platforms that people are already using to help manage their diabetes.
“We firmly believe that this will help more people realise the full benefit of our innovative medicines and begin to ease the mental burden of diabetes treatment for those individuals.”
In parallel, the company has also entered into new partnership agreements with major diabetes technology firms such as Dexcom, Glooko and Roche to enable future integration of its connected pens with various digital health solutions.
As part of the deal with Roche, the partnership will incorporate insulin dosage information from Novo Nordisk’s connected pen technology into Roche’s open ecosystem, enabling to communicate with its digital diabetes management solutions such as mySugr.
The firm will also incorporate data from connected pen devices with its partners’ diabetes management solutions such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems and blood glucose meters (BGM).
Novo Nordisk will incorporate insulin dosing data with Dexcom CGM data in the coming years.
Roche diabetes care global head Marcel Gmuender said: “We believe in the tremendous benefits integrated digital diabetes management solutions can bring to people with diabetes, caregivers and healthcare systems as part of an open ecosystem and are excited to partner with Novo Nordisk to further drive innovation in this area.”
With marketing activities in more than 170 countries, Novo Nordisk is engaged in providing treatment solutions for obesity, haemophilia, growth disorders and other serious chronic diseases.