Novo Nordisk has announced the launch of NovoFine Plus, an ultra-thin, ultra-short universal pen needle that aims to make injections more comfortable for patients with diabetes.
Canada is the first country to make NovoFine Plus available and will be followed by several other countries during 2014 and 2015.
NovoFine Plus is as thin as two human hairs and 4 mm long, making it the shortest needle Novo Nordisk has ever made. Its thinness and length are associated with less pain and less risk of intramuscular injection.
Features of NovoFine® Plus:
NovoFine Plus reduces the risk of intramuscular injections because it is only 4 mm long; as a comparison, the thickness of the skin varies between 1.9 mm and 2.4 mm around the body10,11 (even in people with a high BMI). This means that a 4 mm needle can be used for proper injection with minimal risk of intramuscular injection.
The short length of NovoFine Plus means it can be inserted into the skin at a 90º angle without the need to create a ‘skin fold’ before injecting and the flat hub of the needle is designed to make injections more comfortable.
NovoFine Plus uses SuperFlow™ technology, which increases the width of the internal bore without increasing the outer diameter of the needle. This increases the flow rate and reduces the resistance and force needed to deliver the treatment dose through the needle, which can be important factors for patients with limited manual dexterity or reduced hand strength, such as children or the elderly.
Studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes are often reluctant to initiate insulin therapy, with needle anxiety cited as a common barrier to initiation. Therefore, good design and user-friendly features that take into account patient concerns, such as ease of use and comfort, are important.
As NovoFine Plus uses SuperFlow™ technology, it also offers patients faster injections that need less force. It is compatible with all major pen devices9 and has been designed to reduce the risk of bending or breakage.
