Sanofi Receives European Approval for Insulin Reusable Pen

Sanofi has received European approval for the half unit reusable insulin pen called JuniorSTAR, a product designed for patients with Type-1 diabetes between 6 and 18 years old.

The JuniorSTAR provides healthcare professionals greater dosing flexibility due to the half unit dosing increments and can be used with Lantus (insulin glargine), Apidra (insulin glulisine) or Insuman (recombinant human insulin), according to the company. The lightweight pen has a large display, can deliver between one and 30 units per injection, and has a single-step dial back.

The pen is sold in three different colors to provide additional flexibility and allow for differentiation of insulin. A survey conducted by Sanofi in Europe found that 81 percent of patients/parents and 86 percent of nurses agreed that it was easy to carry the pen daily due to its light weight. In addition, 98 percent of patients/parents and 94 percent of nurses agreed that the large display with legible numbering allowed for easy reading of dosage. Finally, 91 percent of patients/parents and 89 percent of nurses concurred that the device’s single-step dial back made dialing back easy, without any insulin leakage.

Sanofi has partnered with Haselmeier GmbH in Stuttgart, Germany, to manufacture the JuniorSTAR insulin pen.

“Everyone deserves high-quality care while learning to manage their diabetes, for the best chances in life,“ said Pierre Chancel, senior vice president, Global Diabetes, Sanofi. “With JuniorSTAR, we aim to meet the needs of type 1 patients worldwide, specifically the younger ones, who need an easy-to-use pen device. This is a welcome addition to our portfolio of established insulin, which leads the way in personalized diabetes care.“

A rising number of people with type 1 diabetes are being diagnosed worldwide at an increasingly younger age, according to industry estimates.

JuniorSTAR meets the new ISO 11608-1 2012 standard, passed all requirements for robustness and dose accuracy, and is in three different colors (blue, red and silver) for flexibility and insulin differentiation.

JuniorSTAR will be available in Europe and Canada next year.

Sanofi develops therapeutic solutions in seven areas: diabetes, human vaccines, drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and Genzyme.