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HumaPen Ergo®: A New 3.0 ml Reusable Insulin Pen

Evaluation of Patient Acceptability

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Abstract

Objective: To assess the functionality and patient acceptability of HumaPen Ergo®, a new 3.0ml reusable insulin pen.

Design: Patients trialled HumaPen Ergo® (Eli Lilly) over 5 to 7 weeks and completed a questionnaire at the conclusion of the study.

Setting: Eight Diabetes Centres in Australian cities.

Participants: 70 insulin-requiring patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes previously using Novopen® 3 (Novo Nordisk A/S) or syringes.

Main Outcome Measures: Patient questionnaire regarding level of satisfaction with HumaPen Ergo® and comparison with previous injection device.

Results: Both previous syringe users and previous Novopen® 3 users found HumaPen Ergo® easy to use, with >70% of patients rating all aspects of its use as easy. Patients identified a number of specific advantages of HumaPen Ergo® over syringes or Novopen® 3: ease of holding while injecting and reading and correcting doses and the procedure for changing cartridges. Device-related adverse events occurred in only 4% of participants. At the end of the study 74% of previous syringe uses and 72% of previous device users elected to continue using HumaPen Ergo®. 75% of previous syringe users and 54% of previous device users expressed a preference for HumaPen Ergo®.

Conclusion: The HumaPen Ergo® device is well accepted by patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who require insulin. It has a number of specific advantages over Novopen® 3 or, particularly, syringes.

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Acknowledgements

Members of the Australian HumaPen® Collaborative Research Group: S. Boyages, K. Park, H. Pratt, R. Prout, Westmead Hospital, NSW; J. Wischusen, T. Orr, International Diabetes Institute, VIC; A. Cotterill, J. Stillman, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, QLD; A. Stocks, D. Cameron, J. Joyner, S. Perry, Princess Alexandra Hospital, QLD; K. Stanton, B. Marsh, N. Harrington, Royal Perth Hospital, WA; S. Judd, C. Geekie, Flinders Medical Centre, SA.

This study was supported by a grant from Eli Lilly and Company.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Queensland, 4102, Australia

    Alan Stocks & S. R. Perry

  2. Eli Lilly Australia Pty Ltd, West Ryde, NSW, Australia

    P. Brydon

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  1. Alan Stocks
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  2. S. R. Perry
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  3. P. Brydon
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Stocks, A., Perry, S.R. & Brydon, P. HumaPen Ergo®: A New 3.0 ml Reusable Insulin Pen. Clin. Drug Investig. 21, 319–324 (2001). https://doi.org/10.2165/00044011-200121050-00001

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00044011-200121050-00001

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