Novo Nordisk are delighted to announce the launch of NovoPen® 6 and NovoPen Echo® Plus in Ireland – smart insulin pens that offer digital connectivity for people with diabetes. pre-filled pens containing insulin degludec combined with liraglutide, for people with type 2 diabetes who need both medicines Once your smart insulin pen is connected to an integrated app, this information can then be sent virtually to help people manage their insulin data more easily and in one place. This change to the interoperability meant all my data was now in one place. You can see sugar levels, insulin taken and add any extra notes for food and exercise.” How significant are smart insulin pens as a tech development? James Ridgeway, 34, is a diabetes specialist nurse (DSN) with type 1 diabetes who has seen both the personal and professional side of using smart insulin pens.

NovoPen® 6 | Hypodermic insulin injection pens | Medical NovoPen® 6 | Hypodermic insulin injection pens | Medical

When your pancreas is working properly it makes small amounts of insulin all the time and releases more insulin when your blood glucose levels increase after eating. When you have diabetes, your body does not make enough insulin or the insulin it makes does not work properly. As part of one of the agreements, Novo Nordisk will integrate dosing data from connected insulin pens with IBM Watson Health and Glooko’s open ecosystems and diabetes management solutions. Novo Nordisk’s smart connected pens are an example of how technology can support people living with diabetes to gain greater insight into the management of their diabetes, on their journey to becoming experts in their diabetes.” NovoPen ® 6 and NovoPen Echo ® Plus automatically record accurate and reliable insulin dosing information, giving people insight into their own data, and enabling more productive conversations with their healthcare provider, that can lead to better health outcomes. Smart insulin pens can also connect with certain apps that let you keep your insulin dosages and blood glucose data in one place. This means you can look at the timing and dose of your insulin in relation to any food you’ve eaten or activity you’ve done to see how it has affected you. The data can also tell you how much insulin is still working in your body which can help you make decisions for unplanned activity or unexpected sugar readings.

For me, the best thing was that it became a safety net in terms of knowing when I last injected insulin. Before insulin pump therapy I had injected over 15,000 times during 10 years with type 1 diabetes and there were times when I would ask myself 'did I give my insulin?'. NovoPens provided me with that answer, which helped to keep me safe.”

Supply disruption of Tresiba ® (insulin degludec) FlexTouch

NovoPen 6 and NovoPen Echo Plus are insulin injection pens that record dosing information, including when and how much insulin was administered. This data can be uploaded to a compatible app and viewed by people living with diabetes and their healthcare professionals. Currently, insulin injection dosing information is manually recorded in a log book or app. However, in clinical practice, incomplete or inaccurate information on insulin dosing and timing can be a significant barrier to optimising glycaemic control. I have been using an insulin pump for just over six months now, but before then I was using Novo smart pens. I would use the Echo Plus for my rapid-acting insulin injections, and the NovoPen 6 for my long-acting insulin.The deal with Roche will also see similar work, where Novo Nordisk insulin data will be synched with Roche’s diabetes management platforms, such as mySugr and Accu-Chek Smart Pix. Reusable Novo Nordisk smart insulin pens will launch first, followed by a Bluetooth attachment for disposable pens later in 2019. Partners include Roche/mySugr, Dexcom, and Glooko On interoperability with connective devices, Dr Griffin says: “Traditionally a person living with diabetes could see their glucose data in one place and would have needed to keep a manual log of their insulin data – often on paper or on a different platform.

NovoPen®6 or NovoPen Echo® Plus Your guide to using NovoPen®6 or NovoPen Echo® Plus

Smart insulin pens are reusable devices that automatically record when a person has injected insulin, including how much has been injected and at what time of the day. The devices have a dose memory display which shows the amount of time that has passed since the last dose, and they can show a person when a dose has been missed. Everyone with type 1 diabetes, and some people with type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes, needs to take insulin to help manage their blood glucose levels. This reduces the chances of getting the symptoms of high blood glucose ( hyperglycaemia) and serious long-term problems that can damage the heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves and feet.Diabetes is a difficult condition to manage and the number of people living with it is on the rise. When diabetes is poorly controlled and not managed properly it can lead to health complications for people. Long-acting insulin starts to work after 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the type. It usually lasts for 16 to 24 hours, depending on the type and your dose. You'll usually take it once or twice a day. A further analysis looking at missed bolus doses (insulin that is specifically taken at mealtimes) indicated that NovoPen® 6 decreased the average daily number of missed doses by 43% (p=0.002) by the end of the study. Novo Nordisk believes that digital health solutions such as smart insulin pens will help close the gap between the potential of modern diabetes medicines and the reality that most people struggle to use them to their best effect. Novo Nordisk’s new NovoPen 6 and NovoPen Echo Plus are set to replace NovoPen 5 and NovoPen Echo. Credit: Novo Nordisk A/S.

Pen comparison - Novo Nordisk

When asked if there was one thing he’d like to see improved, James adds: “Currently, on the FreeStyle LibreLink app a person must select if they have given an air shot or not. It would be useful and less time consuming if this could be automatically detected by the app.” Emma Wilmot, Consultant Diabetologist, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust said:“Integrating innovative technology as a routine part of diabetes care is an important step to improve diabetes care. We spoke to two members of the diabetes community to understand their experiences with smart insulin pens and explore the impact that widespread use of these pens could have on diabetes teams as well as people with diabetes. What is a smart insulin pen? Roche expects Novo Nordisk insulin pen data will sync to the mySugr app and Accu-Chek SmartPix software. For mySugr Bundle users, coaches will now get injection history alongside other diabetes data. Along with the smart pen news, Novo Nordisk announced data partnerships with Roche, Dexcom, and Glooko. These partners (and likely more to come) will integrate insulin injection data into their apps/platforms, and in some cases, including dosing advice based on it.

Remote access to this data may also help to support a longer- term transition from in-person to virtual care, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which could also help alleviate pressure on health system capacity. Currently, insulin injection dosing information is manually recorded in a logbook or app. However, in clinical practice, incomplete or inaccurate information on insulin dosing and timing can be a significant barrier to optimising glycaemic control.