According to several empirical studies¹ diabetes as such is growing at alarming rates. However, this growing patient group should be looked at as a very fragmented group with different needs at different stages in life – one of them being the group of patients with reduced eyesight and/or manual dexterity, perhaps arisen as late-stage complications as a consequence of their diabetes. These complications have made it difficult for many patients to dose and inject insulin without the assistance of a doctor or diabetes nurse.
Against this background Novo Nordisk – in 1996 – started the development of InnoLet®, the prefilled disposable insulin doser specially designed to target people with different needs, usually elderly people, enabling them to handle daily insulin treatment by themselves.

A step in the right direction
Following the launch of Innovo® – the refillable and very compact insulin doser – InnoLet® is yet another device in the ambitious strive for delivering one new device each year.
"We wish to be known as the world leader within treatment of diabetes, and launching new devices which are tailored to the needs of specific patient groups is one of the ways to achieve this excellence," explains Roger Lassing, international product manager, Disposable Devices.
Seen from a patient point of view this means that a patient can always feel assured that no matter his or her special needs, Novo Nordisk will always strive to meet them. And seen from the company’s and the investors’ point of view it means that Novo Nordisk will position itself as the logical first choice supplier for a growing number of patients, and that patients that have once started insulin therapy using Novo Nordisk products and devices will have no reason to change supplier.

A growing market
With the epidemic growth of diabetes worldwide and the increasing life expectancy of diabetes patients, it is beyond doubt that the number of elderly patients will increase in the years to come.
Studies indicate that as many as 16% of patients with Type 2 diabetes aged 65 and above have impaired vision². The most common reason for poor eyesight among people with diabetes is cataract, which can be found in 24% of people with Type 2 diabetes aged 65-74³. In addition, diabetes also often leads to dexterity problems. Limited joint mobility is found in more than half of all people with diabetes⁴, and an estimated 25% suffer from nerve damage in hands and feet caused by diabetic neuropathy⁵.
The massive increase in the number of diabetes patients being diagnosed poses a problem for the hospitals and clinics that are faced with the challenge of training and educating newly diagnosed patients to enable them to handle the treatment of the disease by themselves.
Because InnoLet® is so easy to use, it will in many cases be possible for the general practitioners (GPs) to handle the initial training of patients. Likewise nurses and others who meet patients with whom they cannot communicate due to language barriers, will find that theselfexplanatory function of InnoLet® will facilitate their job considerably – to the benefit of the patient who will quickly be capable of handling his or her disease satisfactorily.
At prices which are on a level with those of NovoLet®, InnoLet® was first launched in Denmark in February this year with subsequent launch in Germany in March. Launches will follow in other European countries later this year, whereas approval by the US authorities is pending.

Focus on ease-of-use
Novo Nordisk worked together with the Danish Institute for the Blind and Partially Sighted on developing InnoLet®, to ensure proper focus on logic and usefulness.
This includes the design, which includes a kitchen timer-like dose selector with large black numbers. "Our focus when developing the device was ease-of-use, with a special focus on the requirements of the increasing number of elderly diabetes patients, and their different needs," explains Roger Lassing.
The system is simple: Like the renowned NovoLet®, InnoLet® is a prefilled device. This means that patients do not have to change cartridge or refill the device, they simply dispose of it when the device is empty – typically after a week’s use.
Dosage is adjusted by clicking the selector forward to the desired number. InnoLet® is also designed with a grip that is easy to hold. Insulin is injected by simply pressing in the large easy-to-push button. Once the insulin has been dosed, the selector automatically returns to zero, so the patient can always be sure of getting the dose right each time.
The very compact design, which makes the device easy to handle even when using only one hand, has been achieved by applying a specially designed piston rod that, using a high-precision spring, has been bent 180 degrees.
"Many elderly people with diabetes are dependent on a visiting nurse or home help to assist them with insulin treatment, because they can’t read the dosage scale on the existing products, and it is too hard for them to get a good grip on an insulin pen. Also, the dosage system itself is often too complicated for them to understand. All these aspects were taken into consideration in the development of InnoLet®," says Roger Lassing. He adds that eight out of ten test subjects found out how InnoLet® works with minimal instruction.