A Gamechanger for Diabetes Patients in Hard-to-Reach Settings

A team made up of employees from the University of Geneva and from Doctors Without Borders, was able to show that an opened insulin cartridge can be stored for four weeks at 37 °C without impairing its effectiveness. In certain regions of the world, such as sub-Saharan Africa, not all people have a refrigerator. Diabetics are therefore forced to go to a clinic every day for the injections. This team has tested the storage of insulin under real conditions. Specifically, it was temperatures between 25 °C and 37 °C over a period of four weeks, which corresponds to the usual usage time of an ampoule. The results have shown that the effectiveness remains the same as compared to insulin stored in a refrigerator. This enables diabetics to deal with their illness in a self-determined manner, with constant clinic visits a thing of the past.