Wearable Insulin Therapy A Safe Option for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Results from a study evaluating the safety of V-Go®, a wearable, patch-like insulin delivery device, found that the technology safely offers effective blood sugar control using regular human insulin (RHI) for individuals with type 2 diabetes.

“The modern insulins – rapid acting insulin (RAI) analogs – have dominated the mealtime insulin market for years, but skyrocketing prices have resulted in concerns of affordability and whether their differences from other available insulins are clinically relevant,” said Pablo Mora, MD, the study’s lead investigator and endocrinologist at Dallas Diabetes Research Center at Medical City, Dallas, Texas.

V-Go® is a 24-hour, small, disposable mechanical device worn like a patch on the skin, according to Valeritas, Inc, its manufacturer. The mechanism has been approved for use with RAI in adults with diabetes. Mora explained that it delivers not only a 24-hour subcutaneous infusion of insulin, but also on-demand mealtime insulin dosage.

Mora also asserted V-Go’s more streamlined approach to insulin infusion compared with insulin pens and syringes that utilize RHI, an older and less expensive insulin. In comparison, V-Go’s insulin dosing takes less time and therefore improves blood glucose control.

The multi-center, 14-week study analyzed the safety and efficacy of delivering RHI with V-Go; it incorporated 113 adult participants with type 2 diabetes currently using V-Go with RAI, and randomly assigned 54 patients to continue their V-Go use with RAI , while the other 59 patients were assigned to change over from RAI to RHI in their V-Go. Researchers analyzed the between-group difference in average change in hemoglobin A1c, which determines long-term blood glucose control.

“By continuously infusing insulin for 24 hours with V-Go, differences in duration of insulin action are minimized between the 2 insulins. Our results support that RHI can be safely and effectively used when delivered by V-Go,” Mora said. “Use of RHI with V-Go expands the affordability of insulin therapy.”

The study was anticipating presentation at ENDO 2020, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting; however the meeting has since been cancelled, and the findings will be published in a supplemental section of the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

References:

1. Mora P. OR30-02: Efficacy and safety comparison between U100 regular human insulin and U100 rapid acting insulin when delivered by a 24 hour wearable insulin delivery device in type 2 diabetes. Journal of Endocrine Society. 2020. https://www.endocrine.org/-/media/endocrine/files/endo2020/abstracts/mora-abstract.pdf.

2. Wearable delivery device allows patients with type 2 diabetes to safely use more affordable insulin option. News Release. Endocrine Society; March 31, 2020. https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2020/wearable-delivery-device-allows-patients-with-type-2-diabetes. Accessed April 8, 2020.