Abstract
Background:
Insulin pen devices are used by approximately half of insulin users worldwide. The injection force of insulin pens is a key element in their design. This study aimed to demonstrate that the sanofi-aventis reusable ClikSTAR® (CS) pen has an improved injection force over existing insulin pens.
Methods:
The injection force of four reusable insulin pens—Novopen® 4 (NP4; Novo Nordisk), Luxura® (LL; Eli Lilly and Co.), Berlipen® (BP; Haselmeier GmbH), and CS (sanofi-aventis)—was tested in a laboratory setting. Injection force was tested using two methods: Six dispense rates between 6 and 24.66 U/s (constant volume flow rate) and constant button speeds of 4 and 8 mm/s.
Results:
The CS required a lower mean injection force versus NP4, LL, and BP at both doses and all dispense rates. Mean injection force was 45%, 126%, and 60% higher for NP4, LL, and BP versus CS, respectively (p < .05 for each of the comparisons), for a flow rate of 6 U/s at 60 U dose. Mean injection force in all pens increased with the dispense rate, but the injection force remained significantly lower for CS versus all other pens (p < .05). The injection force for CS was significantly lower for 60 U at 10 and 17.03 U/s than for 80 U.
Conclusions:
The study demonstrated that CS pens require a lower injection force at a wide range of different injection speeds than other reusable insulin pens. This is an important benefit for patients with diabetes, especially those with limited dexterity.