Sanofi launches specially designed ‘made in India’ re-usable insulin pen - AllStar™

- Only multinational company in India with (a) a balanced portfolio of orals and insulins (b)one of the longest running national patient counseling programs and now…. (c) a chic indigenously manufactured re-usable insulin pen with 10-in-1 features, specially designed for Indians-

New Delhi, October 10, 2012: Sanofi India Limited (formerly known as Aventis Pharma Limited) announced today the launch of AllStar™, its first indigenously manufactured re-usable insulin pen. Developed especially for Indian patients by Sanofi’s Medical Device Development team at Frankfurt (architects of Sanofi’s award winning devices such as the Solostar®, Clickstar®, BGStar® and iBGStar™), AllStar™ is indicated for use of insulinized patients using Sanofi’s insulin portfolio. The AllStar™ re-usable insulin pen conforms to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards and is equipped with state-of-the-art, unparalleled 10-in-1 features.

Insulin therapy is a one of the cornerstones of diabetes management, and its efficacy in early as well as late-stage diabetes is well-established. Yet, the first choice of doctors in India for most diabetics has so far been to attempt sugar control through OADs (Oral Anti-Diabetics), diet control, exercise and lifestyle changes. One of the key reasons for delaying control through insulin is the resistance and fear in patients, of taking injections daily, particularly self-administering the same. AllStar™ is custom-made for patients in India. AllStar™ will help improve both insulin initiation and compliance; and bring ease and reassurance to the lives of Indian patients, giving them the convenience of international standards at an affordable price.

Announcing the launch of AllStar™, Dr. Shailesh Ayyangar, Managing Director, Sanofi India & Vice President South Asia, Group Sanofi, said, “Sanofi has always been at the forefront of diabetes research and development and AllStar™ is a testament to our patient-centric approach. For almost three years, Sanofi’s scientists worked closely with our team here to develop a device that was ‘made in India, for India’.”

Dr. Ayyangar further added “AllStar™ heralds a new era of indigenous device manufacturing for Sanofi India, which we hope to utilize for other devices in future. 

‘The launch of AllStar™ is a significant milestone in Sanofi India’s diabetes growth story, and also underlines the Sanofi Group’s focus on diabetes, emerging markets and our regionalized approach to finding solutions that are adapted to local needs.“

Commenting on the genesis of this development, Susheel Umesh, Head of Commercial Operations, Sanofi India, said “In line with our mission to truly become a 360 degree partner in diabetes management, we always start with the patient, to understand from them and their physicians what their real needs and expectations are, and work towards introducing solutions to address those needs and expectations.

‘AllStar™ is the result of a successful collaborative multi-country effort within the Sanofi Group that brought together technology, resources and intellectual capital to help Sanofi India develop a pen that its patients aspire for; one that combines convenience and affordability.”

Through a perception study done in July 2011[i], Sanofi found that the most valued features of an insulin pen are ease of use, readability of dose, reverse dialing and high quality. At that time, the study group perceived AllStar™ as better than other pens in the market on most parameters, with ease of use, lighter, smaller and slimmer design being the key differentiators.

Speaking on the AllStar™ pen’s technical aspects, Dr. Volker Korger, Head - Diabetes Device Projects, (MED Frankfurt) Sanofi, shared that, “AllStar™ is a combination of sleek design styling and sophisticated technology. We brought together Sanofi’s award winning Solostar® design team in Germany and UK to make AllStar™, the lightest reusable insulin pen in India.  The German team contributed its renowned expertise in quality medical devices, and from Taiwan we included accurate tooling, as in a device such as this, extraordinary accuracy is most vital in even the smallest of components. Finally, the manufacturing is being done in India - well recognized today for producing high-precision components.”

With close to 62 million diabetic patients, of whom many are either undiagnosed or uncontrolled because of poor compliance, diabetes is a major health problem in India. Given the social and economic impact of diabetes, it is important to make concentrated efforts to help create awareness about diagnosis, management and treatment of diabetes and further, to re-inforce among physicians and patients the necessity of preventing complications in diabetic patients through early insulin therapy.

Dr. S.K Wangnoo, Senior Consultant, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Apollo Centre for Obesity Diabetes and Endocrinology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said, “Various studies have established the importance of early insulin therapy in the management of diabetes. Key to ensuring better compliance and management at the patient level is providing them with convenient solutions. AllStar™, a state-of-the art device for the administration of insulin, will provide Indian patients with the ease of self-administration, and bring comfort and efficacy into their lives.”

AllStar™ is supported by a patient support team of certified diabetes educators to assist patients under guidance of treating physicians, and a toll-free number. The re-useable AllStar™ will be available for use with Sanofi’s insulins – Lantus® and Insuman® - on doctor’s prescription at all leading chemists and distributors across India.

Susheel Umesh added, “We are striving to help people manage the complex challenge of diabetes by delivering and enabling access to a range of innovative, personalized solutions, because we want people to live ‘beyond’ diabetes, to achieve aspirations and make the most of everyday!”

About Diabetes: Diabetes is a chronic, widespread condition in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone needed to transport glucose (sugar) from the blood into the cells of the body for energy. More than 230 million persons worldwide are living with the disease and this number is expected to rise to a staggering 350 million within 20 years. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that India had 32 million diabetic patients in the year 2000  which would increase to 80 million by 2030. The International Diabetes Federation has reported that the 50.8 million diabetic patients in India in 2010 would rise to 87 million by 2030. These observations clearly evince that diabetes has become a major health problem in India.

About Sanofi: Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients’ needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

In India, Sanofi operates through five entities − Sanofi India Limited (previously known as Aventis Pharma Limited), Sanofi-Synthelabo (India) Limited, Sanofi Pasteur India Private Limited, Shantha Biotechnics Limited and Genzyme India Private Limited.

About Sanofi Diabetes:

With a century of experience in Diabetes, Sanofi stands committed to improve the lives of people with diabetes. Through its various incarnations, Sanofi has led the field in insulin manufacturing as well as in diabetes research and development: from the first manufacture of insulin (one of its predecessor companies, Hoechst, was the original company to produce insulin in 1923, after the discovery by Frederic Banting and Charles Best in Canada that insulin could be extracted and initially used to treat children with Type 1 diabetes ) through to the development of Lantus^® (the first company to produce a long-acting basal insulin analogue) launched a decade ago and up to the present day, where it is now investigating the possibility of regenerating the insulin-producing cells in the body.

In addition to its insulin products, Sanofi has a range of award-winning delivery devices, oral therapies – on the market and in development – and innovative blood glucose monitoring systems, so that, together with its personalized services, Sanofi can offer a patient-centric partnership to people with diabetes.

Aligned to the Sanofi Group’s commitment to diabetes, Sanofi Diabetes India strives to become a true 360 degree partner for patients and healthcare professionals, offering a complete range of innovative and integrated solutions.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sanofi India                                                                                              Agency: Edelman India

Ruchita MEHRA

Head – External Communications                                                                 

Tel: +91 98209 86056/ 022-28278233                                                                          

Email: ruchita.mehra@sanofi.com                                                 

Nikita MERCHANT

Assistant Manager - Marketing Communications                                                                        

Tel: +91 9819071300