Novo Nordisk announced that the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has launched an investigation of Sanofi-Aventis's importation of the OptiClik pen system.

Novo Nordisk filed a complaint with the ITC last month alleging that OptiClik and the medication cartridges sold for use with the system infringe a Novo Nordisk US patent and unfairly harm Novo Nordisk's efforts to produce insulin delivery devices in the US, a Novo Nordisk release said.

Novo Nordisk is seeking an order from the ITC excluding from entry into the United States further imports of insulin cartridges for use with the OptiClik pen system. The Novo Nordisk patent is part of a large portfolio of patents issued to Novo Nordisk covering insulins and insulin delivery products.

Martin Soeters, president of Novo Nordisk, said, "Novo Nordisk is pleased that the ITC agrees with Novo Nordisk that our competitor's actions warrant an investigation of patent infringement. Our company is an innovator and leader in insulin delivery technology, changing diabetes by providing people with access to the best diabetes care and advanced insulin delivery devices." He added, "As a pioneer in diabetes treatment for 80 years, we have amassed a large patent portfolio that we are committed to defending."

Novo Nordisk's FlexPen is the leading insulin delivery device in the US and is used with Novo Nordisk's NovoLog Mix 70/30 (70 per cent insulin aspart protamine suspension and 30 per cent insulin aspart injection, [rDNA origin]), NovoLog (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) and Levemir (insulin detemir [rDNA origin] injection). Novo Nordisk's insulin delivery device NovoPen 3 is used with PenFill insulin cartridges containing analog insulins and human insulins.