Lilly markets its first human insulin cartridges for U.S. pen users.

INDIANAPOLIS--(HealthWire)--July 19, 1996--Building on more than 70 years of diabetes-care tradition, Eli Lilly and Company today announced the introduction of its first insulin cartridges in the United States, giving people with diabetes an alternative to using vials of Humulin(R).

Cartridges of Humulin are being shipped to wholesalers and pharmacies across the United States this week in three formulations -- Humulin R, Humulin N and Humulin 70/30.

The cartridges fit into several insulin injection devices: the NovolinPen, NovoPen and the NovoPen 1.5 marketed by Novo Nordisk; and the B-D Pen and B-D Pen Ultra manufactured by Becton Dickinson. Only two of the Novo pens are currently for sale in the United States.

The sale of insulin cartridges is a first for Lilly in the United States, where an estimated 16 million people have diabetes, 3 million of whom use insulin. Lilly -- the largest manufacturer of insulin in the world -- is supplying cartridges to the U.S. market in response to customer requests for the Humulin brand for use in pens. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared Humulin cartridges for marketing.

"Patients who use Humulin but want the convenience of a pen now can continue to use the insulin brand they know and trust," said John Holcombe, M.D., a senior clinical research physician for Lilly.

Pen-cartridge therapy has been a popular method of diabetes treatment throughout Europe for many years. Lilly has sold cartridges in Europe since 1991. But in the United States, pen therapy has been slow to catch on with people who use insulin. However, as rapid-acting insulins are approved for marketing and made available, such as Lilly's new Humalog(R), the demand for the convenience of pens and cartridges is expected to climb.

"The availability of Humulin in cartridges will be one more convenience factor we can offer our customers," Holcombe said.

Humulin R, Humulin N and Humulin 70/30 will be available in five-packs of 1.5 ml cartridges at pharmacies across the country. Humalog cartridges will be available later this year.

Lilly is a global research-based pharmaceutical corporation headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., that is dedicated to creating and delivering superior health care solutions -- by combining pharmaceutical innovation, existing pharmaceutical technology, disease prevention and management and information technologies -- in order to provide customers worldwide with optimal clinical and economic outcomes. Endocrine diseases are one of five therapeutic areas in which the company is focusing its efforts.

Humulin(R) (human insulin - recombinant DNA origin), Lilly Humulin(R) R (regular insulin human injection USP - recombinant DNA origin), Lilly Humulin(R) N (NPH human insulin - recombinant DNA origin - isophane suspension), Lilly Humulin(R) 70/30 (70 percent human insulin isophane suspension and 30 percent human insulin injection - recombinant DNA origin), Lilly Humalog(R) (insulin lispro injection - rDNA origin), Lilly

Note: Full prescribing information for Humalog(R) is available on

request.

CONTACT: Eli Lilly, Indianapolis

Kelly Sego, 317/277-6265