With more than 3 Billion produced to date, SoloStar^® is one of the world’s most recognisable drug delivery devices.

SoloStar^® was born from a desire to create a blockbuster pen injector for Sanofi’s blockbuster basal insulin, Lantus^®. We set out to create a device with the largest selectable dose size (80U), coupled with the lowest injection force. To achieve this, we had to create an entirely new pen injector mechanism with a much higher efficiency than had been achieved before. Our approach was highly analytical and evidence led, building data from extensive testing, mathematical analysis and usability studies.

Production volumes were forecast to be very high, so significant effort was put into design for manufacture and high-speed automated assembly. We worked closely with industrialisation partners on the design of injection moulding tools and assembly equipment to create a manufacturing solution which today supports efficient production in volumes of hundreds of millions per annum.

Since launch in 2006, SoloStar^® has been adapted as a platform for most of Sanofi’s injectable diabetes portfolio. Today there are 16 variants of SoloStar^®, helping to protect and grow these important pharmaceutical assets.

(Lantus^® SoloStar^® and Apidra^® SoloStar^® are registered brands of Sanofi Aventis).