BD Introduces Shortest, Thinnest Pen Needle

Studies suggest that as many as one-fifth to one-third of people with diabetes are hesitant or unwilling to give themselves insulin injections for reasons that include needle anxiety. Patients who reported injection-related pain or embarrassment also admitted they intentionally skipped insulin injections more often. A study by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) revealed that 47% of people with diabetes would be more likely to administer their injections regularly if a product were available that would ease the pain and discomfort of injections. With these needs in mind, BD Medical, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) recently announced the launch in the US of the BD Ultra-Fine Nano Pen Needle with PentaPoint Comfort.

BD’s latest advancement in injection comfort, PentaPoint is a patented 5-bevel needle tip design that creates a flatter, thinner surface to help penetrate the skin with significantly greater ease. In a clinical home-use study, patients who inject insulin found BD’s 5-bevel pen needles to be significantly less painful, easier to insert, more comfortable and preferred overall when compared with current 3-bevel pen needles. Bench tests showed the modified PentaPoint needle tip reduces the force to penetrate the skin by 23% compared to 3-bevel pen needles.

In recent years, advances in needle manufacturing technology, along with shorter and thinner needles, have been associated with progressively improving patient self-rating of injection comfort. At 4 mm by 32 gauge, BD Ultra-Fine Nano is the shortest, thinnest pen needle available, is clinically demonstrated to enhance comfort, and provides a less intimidating injection experience. Combined with a one-handed injection technique and its ability to facilitate flexible site rotation, BD Ultra-Fine Nano may help improve adherence to diabetes therapy regimens to support better health outcomes. PentaPoint Comfort is an enhancement to BD Nano, reflecting that a modified needle tip can further advance patient comfort.

“BD Diabetes Care has been a leader in diabetes injection devices for over 85 years, and is committed to helping improve patients’ transition and adherence to injectable therapies by improving the efficacy, convenience, and comfort of medication delivery. We are excited to provide another first-to-market innovation, designed to dramatically improve the injection experience for the millions of people living with diabetes,” said Linda Tharby, President, BD Medical – Diabetes Care. “Building on the introduction of BD’s smallest needle, the BD Nano, we are confident that our new, patented PentaPoint Comfort technology will provide an even more comfortable injection experience. This will help enable patients to adopt and adhere more easily to the therapy regimens recommended to improve their outcomes.”

The AADE issued injection technique strategies that encourage the use of the smallest possible needle for improved patient comfort and insulin efficacy. The BD Nano 4-mm Pen Needle is proven to be as effective as longer needles for patients of various body types, and provides equivalent glucose control by effectively delivering the insulin dose to subcutaneous tissue, the recommended site for insulin injections, and reducing the risk of injecting into muscle. Intramuscular injection can accelerate insulin absorption and increase the risk of unanticipated hypoglycemia (abnormally low blood sugar). Subcutaneous injection allows the insulin to be absorbed at an appropriate rate, resulting in better glycemic control. For more information, visit www.bd.com/nano.