BD Introduces Specialized Syringe For Eli Lilly's Highly Concentrated Insulin
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) has launched a new syringe designed specifically for diabetic patients taking Humulin R U-500, concentrated insulin developed and manufactured by Eli Lilly. By using a specialized syringe, patients and clinicians can avoid the dosing errors associated with traditional insulin syringes.
Some diabetic patients become resistant to insulin therapy and require higher doses — 200 units per day — to manage their disease correctly. Eli Lilly’s Humulin R U-500 contains five times more insulin per milliliter than traditional U-100 insulin, and has been available since 1994.
Since Humulin R U-500’s introduction, doctors and patients have had to portion out converted dosages into syringes intended for insulin at lower concentrations, and this manual conversion must be managed carefully to avoid serious side effects. According to the product’s labeling, the therapy carries significant risk of hyper- or hypoglycemia if dosages are miscalculated.
FDA approved BD’s specialized syringe in July and indicated in its announcement that the device should be co-prescribed with vials of U-500 insulin. The new syringe comes with the shortest insulin syringe needle on the market, measuring six millimeters by 31-guage, which helps reduce the risk of intramuscular injection. The syringe is clearly marked so that patients can distinguish between new syringes and traditional products intended for U-100 insulin.
“People with diabetes and severe insulin resistance who have become poorly responsive to the effects of insulin may require much higher insulin doses to help keep their blood sugar levels on target,” explained Jeffrey Jackson, from U.S. Medical Affairs for Lilly Diabetes, in a press release. Jackson added that insulin delivery devices should reflect the diverse needs of individual diabetes patients.
“Together BD and Lilly Diabetes have the unique opportunity to bring to market a solution that addresses the critical need of a very specific and important population of people with diabetes,” said Laurence Hirsch, VP of Global Medical Affairs for BD Diabetes Care. “This collaboration with Lilly exemplifies BD’s continued commitment to provide solutions for all people with diabetes, regardless of population size, who need tailored treatment options in order to receive better management of their insulin delivery methods.”
In January, Eli Lilly launched the Humulin R U-500 KwikPen, another insulin delivery alternative. The Kwik-Pen is prefilled with 3 mL of insulin, compared to the traditional vial, which holds 20 mL, and dials and doses depending on dose needed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 29.1 million Americans suffer from diabetes, which equates to an estimated 9.3 percent of the U.S. population. Approximately six million Americans over the age of 18 use insulin to manage their disease, either alone or in conjunction with oral medications.