A 2010 GOOD DESIGN(TM) Award[1] has been awarded to Novo Nordisk for NovoPen Echo(R), the latest innovation in pen development - designed specifically with the needs of children in mind. Judging is made based on product design which is new, visionary and innovative and that may enrich people's lives.
More than 400,000 children are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes worldwide[2] and these children may need to inject themselves multiple times a day. The device they use for daily injections becomes an integral part of their everyday life. Novo Nordisk has recognised that children have different needs and thus developed a pen specifically for them.
Ramin Elahi, chief designer at Novo Nordisk, comments on the development process. "We spoke to children and their parents to establish what features of current pens could be improved. We identified the need to develop a pen which combined small dosing capability, a simple memory function and a design made to fit children's smaller hands. NovoPen Echo(R) is the result and is currently the only pen which combines all of these functionalities in one device."
NovoPen Echo(R) allows patients to inject insulin doses as low as 0.5 units, which is beneficial in children with low insulin requirements who require very small doses. In addition, a simple memory function has been added which records the dose and time since last injection.
"The pen is easy for children to use and the memory function will be very important," says Dr Birthe Olsen, Chief Physician, Department of Paediatrics at Glostrup Hospital. "Parents will get reassurance that their child has taken their insulin at school - helping to give them independence at a younger age."
NovoPen Echo(R) is the latest insulin pen from Novo Nordisk to win the GOOD DESIGN(TM) Award[1]. NovoPen(R) 4, a pen designed for adults also received the award in 2005.
NovoPen Echo(R) has currently been launched in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Canada and Israel.
About NovoPen Echo(R)
NovoPen Echo(R) is a durable insulin pen which comes in two colours - red and blue, with removable skins available so that users may personalise their pens. It has fine-tuned dosing in half-unit increments starting from 0.5 units, a simple memory function and a dose button with short travel distance. In user testing, 80% of children, parents and healthcare professionals chose NovoPen Echo(R) as their favourite pen.*[3]
About the GOOD DESIGN(TM) Award
The GOOD DESIGN(TM) Awards are chosen annually by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in cooperation with The European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. They were founded in 1950 and as such are the world's oldest and among the most coveted awards for design and innovation.
Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with 87 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. For more information, visit http://novonordisk.co.uk
1. http://www.chi-athenaeum.org/gdesign/2010/GD2010winnerslist.pdf
2. IDF Diabetes Atlas 4th edition, International Diabetes Federation, 2009
3. Olsen et al. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2010;4(6):1468-1475
* vs NovoPen(R) Junior (7%) and HumaPen(R) Luxura(TM) HD(12%)