Valeritas Receives CE Mark Approval for Its V-Go Disposable Insulin Delivery Device
By Adam Brown
Valeritas’ V-Go Disposable Insulin Delivery Device.
In late July, Valeritas announced it had received CE Mark approval for its V-Go disposable insulin delivery device, allowing the product to be sold in Europe. We last wrote about the device in December 2010, when the V-Go received FDA clearance in the United States (see New Now Next in diaTribe #28). While the timeline for launch in Europe has not been disclosed, the company has stated its intent to launch the V-Go in the US before the end of 2011. The device uses a non-electronic, mechanical system to deliver basal-bolus therapy for 24 hours (at which point it must be replaced). Although it sounds like an insulin pump, it’s better thought of as a substitute for people currently using vials/syringes and pens. The V-Go automatically administers rapid acting insulin (Humalog or Novolog) at a preset basal rate and also allows users to deliver two-unit boluses by a two-step button push that can be done through clothing. Given these features, it comes as no surprise that the V-Go was designed primarily for people with type 2 diabetes. In our view, the V-Go’s ease-of-use and discretion should be major advantages. We certainly believe people with type 2 diabetes need more insulin delivery alternatives, particularly since many are not close, on average, to being at suggested glycemic targets and because fewer people with type 2 diabetes take insulin than could benefit from it. --AB
