sanofi-aventis announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved SoloSTAR, a new prefilled disposable insulin pen for once daily 24-hour insulin Lantus (insulin glargine) for the treatment of hyperglycaemia in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

The introduction of Lantus SoloSTAR offers a convenient option for administering once-daily 24-hour Lantus, the number one prescribed insulin in the world. Lantus in the SoloSTAR pen provides diabetes patients with an alternative to the traditional needle and syringe for insulin therapy. LantusSoloSTAR is the only disposable insulin pen that allows patients to administer doses from 1 up to 80 units, in one injection.

"sanofi-aventis is committed to working with the diabetes community to develop new technologies intended to help make the difficult task of managing diabetes simpler and more convenient," explained Gilles Lhernould, Senior Vice President Industrial Affairs, sanofi-aventis. "SoloSTAR is the result of more than 4 years of intensive development and testing with diabetes patients, doctors and nurses," he added.

LantusSoloSTAR is expected to be available in pharmacies in 2007, a sanofi-aventis press release said.

"Insulin therapy for people with type 2 diabetes is generally initiated very late in the course of the disease, leaving many patients with high blood glucose levels," explained Satish Garg, MD, Chief, Young Adult Clinics, Professor of Paediatrics & Medicine, Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, USA. "Easier delivery devices like disposable pens can make using insulin more convenient."