Novo Nordisk launches its shortest needle: NovoFine® Plus, compatible with all major pen devices

Novo Nordisk is now launching NovoFine® Plus 32G 4 mm, an ultra-thin, ultra-short universal pen needle that aims to make injections more comfortable for patients with diabetes. Canada is the first country to make NovoFine® Plus available and will be followed by several other countries during 2014 and 2015.

NovoFine® Plus is as thin as two human hairs¹ and 4 mm long², making it the shortest needle Novo Nordisk has ever made. Its thinness and length are associated with less pain³ and less risk of intramuscular injection⁴.

Studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes are often reluctant towards initiating insulin therapy, with needle anxiety cited as a common barrier to initiation⁵. Therefore, good design and user-friendly features that take into account patient concerns, such as ease of use and comfort, are important^5-7.

As NovoFine® Plus uses SuperFlow™ technology, it also offers patients faster injections that need less force⁸. It is compatible with all major pen devices⁹ and has been designed to reduce the risk of bending or breakage⁹.

“We know needle anxiety can be a real barrier when people with diabetes start insulin therapy, and in some people this fear really compromises their treatment. Novo Nordisk is committed to improving diabetes care and as part of our broad portfolio within treatment, devices and needles, we’re pleased to provide this new option to people with diabetes,” says Jesper Kløve, senior vice president, Device R&D, Novo Nordisk.

Features of NovoFine® Plus:

• NovoFine® Plus reduces the risk of intramuscular injections because it is only 4 mm long2; as a comparison, the thickness of the skin varies between 1.9 mm and 2.4 mm around the body^10,11 (even in people with a high BMI). This means that a 4 mm needle can be used for proper injection with minimal risk of intramuscular injection.
• The short length of NovoFine® Plus means it can be inserted into the skin at a 90º angle without the need to create a ‘skin fold’ before injecting and the flat hub of the needle is designed to make injections more comfortable¹².
• NovoFine® Plus uses SuperFlow™ technology, which increases the width of the internal bore without increasing the outer diameter of the needle. This increases the flow rate and reduces the resistance and force needed to deliver the treatment dose through the needle^9,13, which can be important factors for patients with limited manual dexterity or reduced hand strength, such as children or the elderly.
• NovoFine® Plus has a triple bevel design that may reduce the penetration force required to puncture the skin¹⁴.

Novo Nordisk launched the world’s first pen needle for insulin in 1985; since then the company has striven to improve the injection experience for patients by developing smaller and thinner needles. Novo Nordisk uses advanced technology and design to offer pen needles that provide a more comfortable, convenient and simple injection experience.

References

1. Natural History Museum website. Available at URL: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/species-of-the-day/collections/collecting/trichopodiella-faurei/. Last Accessed January, 2014
2. Novo Nordisk Data on file
3. Arendt-Nielsen L, et al. Pain following controlled cutaneous insertion of needles with different diameters. Somatosens Mot Res. 2006;23(1/2):37-43.
4. Birkebaek NH, et al. A 4-mm needle reduces the risk of intramuscular injections without increasing backflow to skin surface in lean diabetic children and adults. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(9):e65.
5. Korytkowski M. When oral agents fail: Practical barriers to starting insulin. Int J Obes. 2002;26(Suppl. 3):S18 – 24.
6. Brunton S. Insulin delivery systems: reducing barriers to insulin therapy and advancing diabetes mellitus treatment. Am J Med. 2008;121:S35-S41
7. GFK Healthcare Diabetes Patient Market Study Roper Global Diabetes Programme 2006.
8. Novo Nordisk Data on file.
9. Novo Nordisk Data. Tested according to DS EN/ISO 11608-2:2012.
10. Gibney MA, et al. Skin and subcutaneous adipose layer thickness in adults with diabetes at sites used for injectable therapy injections: Implications for needle length recommendations. Curr Med Res Opin. 2010;26:1519-1530.
11. Laurent A, et al. Echographic measurement of skin thickness in adults by high frequency ultrasound to assess the appropriate microneedle length for intradermal delivery of vaccines. Vaccine. 2007;25:6423-6430.
12. Great Ormond Street Hospital website. Available at URL: http://www.gosh.nhs.uk/medical-conditions/medicines-information/giving-subcutaneous-injections/. Last Accessed January 2014.
13. Siegmund T, et al. Comparison of usability and patient preference for insulin pen needles produced with different production techniques: “thin-wall” needles compared to “regular-wall” needles: an open-label study. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2009;11(8):523-528..
14. Novo Nordisk Data on file.