Novo Nordisk has now introduced the latest version of the FlexPen at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meet.

This next generation of FlexPen requires 30 per cent less force when injecting, when compared with SoloSTAR 2,3,4. Like the current version of FlexPen, the next generation of FlexPen provides superior dose accuracy in comparison to SoloSTAR 2,5,6. In addition, the new device provides a range of new design features aimed at improving safety and simplicity for people with diabetes.

It permits dose corrections without loss of insulin, and provides doses in one-unit increments up to 60 units per injection (each pen contains 300 units in total). The dose scale of the next generation of FlexPen automatically returns to zero after injection to allow visual confirmation of dose delivery.

Among the new design features are coloured cartridges, labels and packaging designed to aid insulin type identification for patients. For ease of handling everyday insulin injections, the next generation of FlexPen has an innovative simple twist mechanism to attach and detach the needle. This makes the device the first pen to be designed for use with a new generation of needles, which have a patented state-of-the-art attachment interface.

The FlexPen has been tested among patients to assess if the new features translated into actual patient preference. In total, 95% of patients who tried the next generation of FlexPen said they would prefer to use it, over the current version of FlexPen. Eighty-nine percent found it more convenient to use, 98 per cent said it took less effort to inject and 83 per cent felt it was safer to operate than the current version of FlexPen.7

"This FlexPen is welcome because it makes the injection process more comfortable for patients," said Prof Andreas Pfützner, Institute for Clinical Research and Development, Mainz, Germany. "Its features that will go a long way towards improving their compliance with prescribed treatment, he added.

FlexPen is the world's most widely used prefilled insulin pen, trusted daily by millions of people with diabetes. The next generation of FlexPen represents the latest advance in pre-filled insulin pens from Novo Nordisk, designed to be simple and convenient to use, and helping to reduce the burden of living with diabetes.

The next generation of FlexPen is a result of more than 25 years of research and development of insulin delivery systems undertaken since Novo Nordisk invented the insulin pen. Compared to other insulin delivery devices that have to be manually loaded with insulin cartridges, prefilled pens are ready to use, eliminating the step of loading insulin into the delivery device. The next generation of FlexPen features a single-step dose-setting mechanism, portability and a discreet 'non-medical' appearance.