Calibra Medical's Finesse insulin patch-pen receives FDA clearance for use with Novo Nordisk's Novolog

Calibra Medical announced today it received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its Finesse™ insulin patch-pen for up to three-day use with Novo Nordisk's Novolog® rapid acting insulin. Combining the mealtime therapy-adherence benefits of insulin pumps with the simplicity and affordability of syringes and pens, Calibra's novel bolus-only patch-pen is a small, adhesively attached, flat device that can be operated discretely through clothing to deliver mealtime, snack time, and correction bolus insulin in seconds.

Designed so people with diabetes can avoid the inconvenience and the occasional social challenges of daily mealtime injections with needles, Finesse represents a new category of simple mechanical devices making insulin therapy adherence easier to achieve at an affordable price.

In January, Calibra Medical received FDA clearance for the device for use with Eli Lilly's Humalog® rapid acting insulin. The company is pursuing marketing clearance for Finesse to deliver other manufacturers' insulin and diabetes drugs, and is planning to develop next-generation models, including devices pre-filled with insulin.

"With this device people will find daily self-administration of multiple doses of insulin is far easier, with less disruption and increased potential for better diabetes control," said Nancy J. V. Bohannon, M.D., a practicing endocrinologist and Director of Clinical Research at the Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Program, St. Luke's Hospital, San Francisco. Dr. Bohannon was the principal investigator for the recently completed feasibility clinical trial of the Finesse patch-pen at five leading diabetes clinics in the country.

Diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening disease caused by the body's failure to produce sufficient insulin or to utilize it correctly to control blood glucose levels. More than 98% of the 30 million people in the world who self-administer insulin use syringes and pens. However, many are challenged to overcome the difficulties and social stigma associated with delivering mealtime insulin multiple times every day with these devices. As a result, many fail to adhere to their dosing regimen, which can lead to adverse medical complications such as nerve damage, blindness, heart disease and kidney disease.

"Finesse will be easy for physicians and diabetes educators to explain to patients. Most patients want to eliminate the social embarrassment, elaborate preparation before each dose and the many daily needle sticks required by syringes and insulin pens," said Jeffrey L. Purvin, Calibra Medical's chairman and CEO. "Like expensive insulin pumps, Finesse provides fast, discreet, needle-free dosing. Yet, it accomplishes this with the simplicity, safety and affordability of syringes or insulin pens."