SoloSTAR®

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).