Valeritas Announces Very Encouraging Early User Results for V-Go Disposable Insulin Delivery Device
On November 13, Valeritas announced early user results for its V-Go Disposable Insulin Delivery Device. The small study tracked 23 people with type 2 diabetes using the device for 12 weeks; though a small trial, we thought the results were quite striking. The participants began the study with an average A1c of 8.8% and a fasting blood glucose of 205 mg/dl – but after 12 weeks, those using the device had reduced their A1c by 1.2% (to 7.6%) and dropped their fasting blood glucose by 70 mg/dl (to 135 mg/dl)! After the participants stopped using the V-Go, these numbers unsurprisingly went back up, although not quite to their original levels – A1c increased 0.6% (to 8.2%) and fasting blood glucose increased 29 mg/dl (to 164 mg/dl). Patient satisfaction was quite high, with participants giving the V-Go an average score of 9.1 out of 10 – pretty hard to top this! From what we can tell, Valeritas tried to design the V-Go to be an easy-to-use and discreet alternative to syringes and pens for type 2 patients – this early data sure suggests that patients seem to like the device, and the glycemic benefits are quite strong, perhaps because the V-Go makes it easier to take insulin, especially at meal times. Moreover, some initial reports suggest that the V-Go has made people comfortable with starting insulin therapy earlier than they would have with pens or syringes, which is encouraging for their long-term diabetes management.
While the V-Go might appear to resemble an insulin pump, it’s actually a lot simpler to use. The V-Go is a plastic, non-electronic, mechanical device that can provide basal-bolus therapy. It sticks to the body and administers insulin at a preset basal rate over the course of one day and allows users to deliver two-unit boluses by a two-step button push that can be done through clothing. It needs to be replaced at the end of each 24-hour period. While the V-Go is approved for anyone requiring insulin therapy, its intentional simplicity means the device is a better fit for type 2 patients, since its preset basal rate and two-unit boluses don’t offer the dosing flexibility many type 1 patients prefer. For a more complete overview of the V-Go, see new now next in diaTribe #28 that we wrote way back in 2009 to tell you a little about the device in the making that is now available. –AW