Development of an Insulin Pen is a Patient-Centric Multidisciplinary Undertaking: A Commentary

Abstract

The goal of human-centered insulin pen design is to relieve the treatment burden of a chronic condition and help affected individuals to feel free of disease. The patient as well as their entire ecosystem should be considered. At Novo Nordisk A/S, we believe that embedding human-centered design at the heart of our development processes is best achieved with multidisciplinary experts in-house to work alongside product development teams and, importantly, the end user. Novo Nordisk introduced the first commercially available insulin pen in 1985 and has continued to develop reusable/durable and prefilled insulin pens to meet different patient needs, through to the latest NovoPen 6 and NovoPen Echo Plus with SMART technology. Human-centered design is essential for delivering meaningful and practical solutions for individuals with diabetes.

Factors Affecting Performance of Insulin Pen Injector Technology: A Narrative Review

“…Another innovation addressing the needs of people with impaired dexterity is spring-loaded mechanisms to reduce the activation force required for dose delivery. 40,108 Some pen injectors also feature a large number display for people with visual impairment, which is common in people with diabetes. 110,111…”

“…To develop a successful insulin pen injector, the users’ needs as well as their environments must remain a central focus throughout, from conception to market launch and beyond. 40,41 Thus, the first step should be to gain a deep understanding of an individual’s needs regarding their disease management in general and their insulin administration devices in particular. 39 Results of a survey of 504 people with type 2 diabetes in the United States or the United Kingdom identified confidence in administering the correct dose (59.5% of participants), ease of selecting the correct dose (53.2% of participants), overall ease of use (47.4% of participants), and frequency of injections (44.2% of participants) as the most important features that would determine their choice of an injection device (selected from 17 attributes).…”

“…To address the needs of specific user groups, such as the pediatric population, some insulin pen injectors offer a dose increment of as low as 0.5 U, with a reduced injection force needed and a shorter design. 40,117,118 Some devices also incorporate audible clicks to confirm dose delivery 40 and help to increase individuals’ confidence that the correct insulin dose has been administered. Some pen injectors have been designed for people requiring large doses of insulin and are able to deliver concentrated insulin analogs at up to 300 U per injection in increments of 5 U of insulin.…”

“…39 Consequently, a patient-centric approach is critical for the successful design and use of diabetes injectable therapy devices. 40,41 From the perspectives of people with diabetes and HCPs, an injection device should be easy to learn/teach how to use, be easy to use, deliver fast and painless injections, be able to deliver the needed dose in one injection, and have low variability in dose delivery. 42 -45…”

Smart connected insulin dose monitoring technologies versus standard of care: a Canadian cost–effectiveness analysis

“…Supported by clinical evidence of improved glycemic control and reduced time in hypoglycemia [ 12–17 ], their use is endorsed by Canadian and international clinical guidelines [ 7 , 18 , 19 ]. Connected insulin re-usable pens or connected caps for disposable insulin pens with the ability to track and transfer patient data are examples of such digital technologies [ 20 ]. These allow users to access data on insulin dose, type and time of injection resulting in safer insulin therapy.…”