Bagsværd, Denmark, 1 October 2018 - Novo Nordisk today announced plans to make the durable, connected insulin pens NovoPen® 6 and NovoPen Echo® Plus commercially available across key markets commencing in early 2019. In parallel, to support the future integration of its connected pens with broader digital health solutions, Novo Nordisk has signed new partnership agreements with leading diabetes technology companies that share Novo Nordisk's vision to improve the lives of people with diabetes: Dexcom, Glooko and Roche.
The partnerships aim to advance the solutions available for people living with diabetes and their healthcare professionals. Building upon its existing work with IBM Watson Health® and Glooko, Novo Nordisk aims to seamlessly integrate insulin dosing data from connected pen devices with its partners' open ecosystems and diabetes management solutions, such as data from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems and blood glucose meters (BGM).
"Our non-exclusive partnership strategy allows us to integrate with the various digital platforms that people are already using to help manage their diabetes," said Camilla Sylvest, executive vice president of Commercial Strategy & Corporate Affairs at Novo Nordisk. "We firmly believe that this will help more people realise the full benefit of our innovative medicines and begin to ease the mental burden of diabetes treatment for those individuals."
The launch of Novo Nordisk's first connected insulin pens, NovoPen® 6 and NovoPen Echo® Plus, will commence in the first quarter of 2019 and roll out to over 50 countries in the coming years. NovoPen® 6 and NovoPen Echo® Plus will eventually be phased in to replace NovoPen® 5 and NovoPen Echo® in countries where those devices are currently available.
"After receiving caregiver feedback, we knew a global roll-out was the right thing to do," said Camilla Sylvest, referring to a 2017-18 Swedish pilot in collaboration with Glooko. "During the pilot, healthcare providers noted that patient dialogues improved without having to invest additional time."
Global Head of Roche Diabetes Care Marcel Gmuender added that, "synching Novo Nordisk insulin data with our digital diabetes management solutions like mySugr and Accu-Chek Smart Pix will allow us to enhance quality of care and help create more sustainable healthcare systems."
Novo Nordisk will also integrate insulin dosing data with Dexcom CGM data in the coming years. "We believe that a fully connected ecosystem represents a significant opportunity to improve the lives of people on multiple daily injections," said Steve Pacelli, executive vice president of Strategy & Corporate Development at Dexcom.
"We are pleased to extend our collaboration with Novo Nordisk," said Russ Johannesson, CEO at Glooko. "We are excited about evolving our integrated solutions and look forward to helping more people manage their diabetes via the Glooko platform."
Beyond launching connected durable devices, Novo Nordisk expects to deliver connectivity for its disposable, pre-filled injection pens later in 2019. In the longer term, Novo Nordisk aims to increase the availability of connected pens and offer solutions for personalised treatment guidance.
Further information
| Media: | ||
| Katrine Sperling | +45 3079 6718 | krsp@novonordisk.com |
| Kristen Andersen | +45 3079 3216 | kgia@novonordisk.com |
| Ken Inchausti (US) | +1 609 240 9429 | kiau@novonordisk.com |
| Investors: | ||
| Peter Hugreffe Ankersen | +45 3075 9085 | phak@novonordisk.com |
| Anders Mikkelsen | +45 3079 4461 | armk@novonordisk.com |
| Valdemar Borum Svarrer | +45 3079 0301 | jvls@novonordisk.com |
