Omnipod soon to be available in Canada

Diabetes Technology Insulin Pumps
1

Got this press release this morning. More options for people with diabetes in Canada!

Insulet Corporation and GlaxoSmithKline Inc. Sign Distribution
Agreement for the OmniPod Insulin Management System in Canada
Insulet’s Tubing-Free Insulin Pump to Be Available Across Canada for
the First Time BEDFORD, MA and TORONTO, Mar 02, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via
COMTEX) –

Insulet Corporation (“Insulet”) (NASDAQ: PODD), the leader in
tubing-free insulin pump technology with its OmniPod(R) Insulin
Management System, and GlaxoSmithKline Inc., one of the world’s
leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, today
announced an exclusive distribution agreement for the OmniPod Insulin
Management System in Canada.

“We are very pleased to work with a leader like GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
to expand access to the OmniPod System to Canadians with diabetes,”
said Duane DeSisto, President and Chief Executive Officer of Insulet.
“The OmniPod’s tubing-free design and ease of use have provided
freedom to tens of thousands of people in the United States and
abroad. We look forward to the opportunity to positively impact the
lives of Canadians with insulin-dependent diabetes.”

“Partnering with Insulet to bring the OmniPod System to Canada
directly reflects our mission to enable people to do more, feel better
and live longer,” said Paul Lucas, President and CEO, GlaxoSmithKline
Inc. “As a patient-focused company with over a decade of experience in
diabetes care, we are proud that the availability of this system will
so significantly improve the management of diabetes for Canadian
patients, their families and caregivers.”

According to the agreement, GlaxoSmithKline Inc. will have exclusive
rights to promote, advertise, market, distribute and sell the OmniPod
System in Canada. Additional information for Canadian patients and
healthcare providers will soon be available at www.myomnipod.ca, which
is currently scheduled to launch in mid-March 2011.

About the OmniPod(R) Insulin Management System The OmniPod(R) Insulin
Management System is the world’s first tubing-free insulin pump.
OmniPod(R) offers people living with insulin-requiring diabetes all
the benefits of insulin pump therapy, with freedom, comfort and ease.
OmniPod(R) has just two components: the small, discreet, waterproof
Pod that can be worn on many parts of the body to hold and deliver
insulin; and the PDM (Personal Diabetes Manager), a hand-held device
that communicates wirelessly to program the Pod, calculates suggested
doses and has a built-in FreeStyle(R) blood glucose meter. For more
information, please visit: www.myomnipod.com (US residents only).

About Insulet Corporation Insulet Corporation is an innovative medical
device company dedicated to improving the lives of people with
diabetes. The company’s OmniPod(R) Insulin Management System is a
revolutionary, discreet and easy-to-use insulin infusion system that
features two easy-to-use parts with no tubing and fully-automated
cannula insertion. Through the OmniPod(R) System, Insulet seeks to
expand the use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII)
therapy among people with insulin-dependent diabetes. Founded in 2000,
Insulet Corporation is based in Bedford, Mass.

About GlaxoSmithKline Inc. GlaxoSmithKline Inc. (GSK) is a leading
research-based pharmaceutical company with a challenging and inspiring
mission: to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do
more, feel better, and live longer. This mission gives GSK the purpose
to develop innovative medicines, vaccines and healthcare solutions
that help millions of people. GSK is consistently recognized as one of
the 50 best employers in Canada and is a top 15 investor in Canadian
research and development, contributing more than $144 million in 2009
alone. With a proud tradition of charitable and community support, GSK
is designated a Caring Company by Imagine Canada. Discover more at
GSK.ca.

2

Thanks Manny for also posting it in the Canadian Group .
It appears I will get to travel to Vernon, BC ; any others ??..

My pump trainer, Nurse Diane’s poster as I copied and pasted it unto Samantha Seltenrich’s discussion :



Wondering about using an insulin pump

to manage Diabetes?



Are you considering replacing or upgrading your pump soon?



This will be an opportunity to meet our local sales representatives and see the new Animas PING,

Medtronic VEO and Omnipod insulin pumps.



Date : Monday, March 14, 2011



Time: 6:30pm-9pm



Location: Vernon Lodge – Okanagan Room

3914 – 32 Street, Vernon, BC



RSVP : Diane 250-542-5919 by March 11, 2011



Light snacks and beverages available

3

I just had my endo fill out the paperwork for the Animas Ping … I like the idea of the OmniPod (no tubing) but I’ve just heard so many bad things about its failure rate and such that I’m not willing to give it a try. Maybe in another four years when it’s smaller and more refined.

I’m glad it’s coming to Canada, though! The more pumps on the market the better, in my opinion.

4

Hi Jennifer,



I have nothing but amazing things to say about the OmniPod system. I lived in the USA for two years and I was on the OmniPod for over a year while there. It was the best pump I’ve ever used. Once you go on a pump that doesn’t have tubing, you can’t go back. Since returning to Canada over 1.5 years ago, I’ve been back on syringes waiting for the OmniPod to come to Canada since my drug plan only covers a new pump every 5 years.



With regards to your concerns about failing pods, it is true that some do fail, but it’s almost always immediately. If you put a pod on an area without a bit of extra fat or tissue (like the triceps if you are muscular), then it will sometimes fail. You just remove it, throw it in the garbage and put on a new one. Also, if it fails while you are out somewhere, you just keep your insulin vial and an extra pod in your case with the PDM and you can put a new one on in seconds. It’s VERY easy to change pods. Also, I play hockey, basketball and I’m a runner and I’ve only broken one pod while playing sports. They are tough little buggers. You also don’t have to remove it while swimming or showering. It gets wet and dries right off. Also, if a pod breaks or fails at any time (even 1 hour before it’s scheduled to be changed), you call Insulet and tell them the number on the pod and they will add a free replacement pod to your next shipment so you don’t have to worry about your drug plan hassling you for using too many pods.



You have to appreciate the feeling of having the pump sitting on your skin and not interfering with your life. You don’t have to adjust it, worry about tubes, tuck something in your pocket or strap something to your belt. Once you put the pod on, you immediately forget that it is there until it’s time to change it. Before going on the OmniPod, the company rep gave me a few pods to wear around (without the inserted canula) to get a feel of what it’s like to wear one.



Another advantage too is that when Insulet upgrades its equipment, you don’t have a huge expense to upgrade. If they upgrade the type of pod, they will start shipping you the new ones since they are a recurring item and if they upgrade the PDM machine that you carry around (which they recently did), they only charge a few hundred dollars for the new machine. If you are using an insulin pump and you want to upgrade to their new model or if you break it, you could be out thousands of dollars (I think, I’ve never actually tried with the regular pumps).



Anyways, please consider the OmniPod. It may not be for you, but please don’t listen to the complaints of a few people about failed pods and make your decision based upon that.

5

Thank you very much Manny:)

6

Hey, thanks for the information. My decision isn’t based solely on the things people have said about the OmniPod (it’s actually mostly to do with the high-contrast screen on the Animas), so not to worry there. I think I would maybe consider the OmniPod for my next pump (after the one I’ll be getting soon), as it will hopefully be a bit smaller by then as well (I have seen a demo pod). Another reason I won’t consider it now is that to me it seems soooo wasteful to throw away so much plastic and electronic bits and so on, not to mention any insulin if a pod does fail. But there are some other pumps like the upcoming Solo which have sort of solved this by using different components, some of which can be re-used. (I also won’t use infusion sets with disposable inserters because of this recycling issue.)

Thanks for the information, though. I will definitely be interested in seeing how it does in Canada over the next few years!

7

i just went on the canadian omnipod website, it says its here!:smiley:

8

I think Samantha from Victoria ( via her Endo ) is wearing one …see her post in the Canada group !!

9

Hi,

my name is Gabriella I have battled type one diabetes for 14 years as of september 25, 2011. And i have been SUFFERING with the omnipod for nearly 4 years.

basics:

-6 in 10 pods fail
-the PDMs fail constantly and and NOT durable what so ever~ I am on PDM number 45
-90% of my Doctors patients that tried the omnipod switched to a minimed with in the first 4-6 months
-it is extremely painful
-the meter on the PDM is highly innaccurate
-the pods RARELY alarm when they fail~ i have expierienced 33 days over the past 4 years of near DKA due to the pods not alarming (vomiting, hospitalization, intense pain, severe dehydration, extreme lethargy~pain and suffering.

-Basically the omnipod is a great idea (no tubing) but Insulet has only been around since "06. medtronic minimed has had more than 25 years of expierience~the fact of the matter is Medtronic minimed is the best pump there is… every pump fails BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT of the omnipod.

Animas is another great pump the screen is very helpful to people with vision problems.

Also, tubing pumps are safer…easier to hide and the sites are much more comfortable.

it comes down to this:

minimed/animas are simply the best, safest and RELIABLE

omnipod is a untrustworthy simply unreliable and extremely dangerous. after every bolus you have to worry whether you got the bolus correctly or not. you have to constantly worry whether it is working or not. this causes extreme anxiety.

in lamens terms

omnipod is a piece of crap that some idiot in the FDA approved

minimed/animas are the best end of story!

10

I am going to have to respectfully disagree with Gabriella. I was on the Omnipod for almost 2 years and I absolutely LOVED it. I might suggest that before you go on it, that you try get a demo unit and try the pods out. I know that for me, the pods fail occasionally when they are on my triceps, but I believe it’s because there is not a lot of fat tissue in that area. They almost never fail when they are on my abdomen (bit more fat there!!!).

Since they rarely fail for me, the Omnipod has huge advantages over traditional pumps, but it’s all personal opinion. I would NEVER say that one pump is better than another because preferences vary from person to person. For me, I like the Omnipod because I hate tubing and I don’t like having the whole pumping device attached to me at all times. I also like that I don’t have to detach it to play sports or worry about damaging it while playing with my kids or working around the house/yard.

But again, I would suggest that you not go by what Gabriella said, but to try it out for yourself. The Omnipod reps will let you wear a sample pod with saline solution to try it out and the other pump companies will probably lend you a sample device to strap to you for a few days.