When two make one

It is the ambition at Novo Nordisk to deliver one new device each year. For the patients this means more choices, and for Novo Nordisk the devices are a key competitive advantage.

For many people with diabetes, daily life requires carrying a logbook, insulin pen, needles and insulin. In addition, they have to take along a glucose monitor, lancets, test strips and a healthy snack.
In the future, however, the load may be lighter thanks to the result of a yearlong collaboration between Novo Nordisk and LifeScan, a leading maker of blood glucose monitoring systems. The first result of that collaboration is InDuo™, the first two-in-one integrated insulin doser and blood glucose monitor that helps people manage their diabetes by combining two essential daily activities into one device.
"The device looks very simple, but its development has involved the commitment of many people from the two companies," says Mads Henrik Dall, project vice president, as he holds up InDuo™, which looks very similar to a mobile phone. "The insulin injection device is Innovo® - and it has not changed," he explains. As he speaks, he slips Innovo® out from the inside of the hard casing of InDuo™ - actually a discreet tubular case moulded to look like a mobile phone. The case itself houses the glucose monitor; what looks like the display of the phone is the display of the monitor.
"The meter has the same features as LifeScan's One Touch® Ultra blood glucose monitor," explains Julie Arel, international communications manager, Durable Devices. "But it is the integration that makes InDuo™ truly unique and exciting." For Novo Nordisk the product underpins the ambition of delivering one new innovative device for the patients every year. For the patients this results in increased convenience.

Two-in-one integrated insulin doser and blood glucose monitor. The case is moulded to look like a mobile phone, and what looks like the display of the phone is the display of the monitor.

A promising concept
With InDuo™ at hand, managing diabetes becomes less overwhelming for the patient. The meter only requires 1 microlitre of blood, which makes alternative site testing - for example on the arm - possible with less pain than often experienced. Readings are performed in five seconds and the meter has a memory function that stores the data of the previous 150 tests. Memory function is also part of the insulin injection component. The amount of insulin delivered and the time passed since last dose are shown.
InDuo™ is made for active people with diabetes who inject insulin two or more times a day. To successfully manage their diabetes they need to be able to measure glucose and inject insulin anywhere anytime. So far, reactions to the concept are very promising.
InDuo™ will be launched in the United States later this year, followed by Europe and Japan.

	Improving blood glucose control "To achieve near-to-normal glycaemic control, people with insulin-depen- dent diabetes need to monitor their blood glucose frequently and adjust their insulin dosing," repeat diabetes specialists and study results. But what does that mean for people with diabetes? It means the hassle of carrying many different and often indiscreet pieces of equipment. As a result most people with diabetes who use insulin do not measure their blood glucose four to five times daily as recommended and are not able to achieve the desired near-to-normal glycaemic control. The hope behind InDuo™ is that it empowers people with diabetes to take control and conveniently serves as a reminder to test their blood glucose easily whenever they inject.

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