Eli Lilly launches insulin colour differentiation system

Eli Lilly has announced the launch of a colour differentiation system for U-100 insulin products, including pens, vials and individual packaging for Humanlog (insulin lispro injection [rDNA origin]) and Humulin (regular insulin human injection, USP [rDNA origin]).

Dr Sherry Martin, associate medical director at Lilly USA, states insulin is a powerful medicine with a track record of efficacy and safety – when administered and used in an appropriate fashion – that is some 85 years in length.

However, she notes if insulin is administered improperly, patients could well be placed at risk of serious injury due to blood sugar levels falling too low.

Dr Martin states differentiating insulins with clear labels and colour differentiated packaging has the potential to help lower errors in medication and improve safety for sufferers of diabetes.

“The use of colour provides a supplemental recognition factor beyond the actual wording on the label. However, people should remember that colour differentiation of insulin is not a substitute for reading the label carefully before using insulin,” she concludes.

In recent days, Lilly announced its financial result for the third quarter of this year, noting that sales increased by a total of 14 per cent during the three-month period.