People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who used the new OneTouch Via mealtime, on-demand insulin delivery system reported they missed fewer doses and felt less stress about dosing compared to multiple daily injections, according to research presented by Calibra Medical, Inc., one of the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Companies, at the annual American Diabetes Association (ADA) conference.
Results of the Market Acceptance Evaluation (MAE) study also demonstrated that physicians were more likely to recommend the innovative insulin delivery device to patients who are not at A1C goals or who are new to rapid-acting insulin (RAI) therapy.The new OneTouch Via is a wearable, on-demand insulin delivery system in development that allows patients to discreetly deliver rapid-acting, or bolus, insulin at mealtimes by simply pressing two buttons on the device, accessible even through clothing. The thin, water-resistant patch can be worn continuously for up to three days, providing injection-free delivery of insulin when needed.
Click on image for larger view. (Credit: Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Companies)
“People with diabetes can often feel embarrassment or discomfort when they need to inject insulin at mealtimes or when snacking,” Dr. Brian Levy, chief medical officer, Lifescan, Inc., said. “In a social situation, they may choose to miss a dose so they don’t have to take themselves out of the moment, but avoiding needed insulin doses may lead to serious health complications over time.”
Levy added that because patients in the study were empowered to dose discreetly with system, they felt encouraged to dose more often and ultimately, they reported missing fewer doses and better adherence to their treatment regimen.
The MAE study followed 44 patients with a median age of 57 years, who used the OneTouch Via patch for 60 days, instead of their bolus injection device (75 percent pen users and 25 percent syringe and vial users). Patients responded to insulin usage questionnaires at baseline, then after 1, 4 and 8 weeks.
By weeks 4 to 8, more than half (58 percent and 52 percent, respectively) of study participants acknowledged dosing more often than they would with a pen or syringe – with satisfaction rates increasing the longer they used the new patch.
Some 98 percent of patients said the patch let them dose discreetly in public, with 88 percent noting they worried less about forgetting insulin, thus creating a less stressful disease management experience.
The healthcare professionals who assisted with the study noted that they preferred the new system over both insulin pens and syringes (75 percent and 100 percent, respectively) and would be likely to recommend it to their patients. The doctors also reported that they would start patients on mealtime insulin earlier because of the ease of use of the patch.
“We understand the physical and emotional challenges people with diabetes face every day, and are constantly driving to create innovative solutions that help people with diabetes manage their condition and live the life they want,” John Wilson, worldwide VP of insulin delivery at Animas Corp., said. “It is our hope that once commercially available, it will eliminate the barriers many people living with diabetes face surrounding mealtime insulin and ultimately improve health outcomes.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the insulin delivery patch on April 10, 2012, for use by adults over 21 years of age with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. An additional Clinical Outcomes Study, being conducted across 60 trial sites in the U.S. and Europe, will measure the change in A1C levels, glycemic variability and patient reported quality of life seen in patients using OneTouch Via compared to insulin pens over the course of 24 and 44 weeks.
Calibra Medical plans to make the patch commercially available in limited markets outside the U.S. in late 2016, with U.S. availability to follow shortly thereafter.
