Sanofi India, on Tuesday, announced the launch of AllStar, its first indigenously-manufactured reusable insulin pen.
“We have launched AllStar, an indigenously-manufactured reusable insulin pen at an affordable price of Rs.650 a unit. It is developed for Indian patients by Sanofi’s medical device development team in Frankfurt,” company Managing Director Shailesh Ayyangar told reporters here.
AllStar was custom-made for patients in India. It would help improve insulin initiation and compliance and bring ease and reassurance to the lives of patents, giving them the convenience of international standards at an affordable price, he said. Incidentally, India has the second highest number of diabetics in the world estimated at 62 million.
The company had also received enquiries from other emerging markets in Asia and Africa, Mr. Ayyangar said.
Shashank Joshi, President, Indian Academy of Diabetes, said: “In India, on an average, doctors prescribe insulin therapy to about one-third of the country’s diabetes patients. Close to 75 per cent patients are on vials with syringes and 25 per cent on insulin pens. Insulin pens definitely offered greater advantage than vials and syringes in terms of ease of usage, thereby increasing patient initiation and compliance to therapy, Mr. Joshi said.