THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, December 21: A novel needle-less injection for insulin-dependent diabetics has been introduced in India.

In an interview with The Indian Express here on Friday, Kartikeya Sarabhai, chairman of the Ahmedabad-based Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises (ASE), said that the new product looks like an ordinary syringe except that it did not have a needle on top. It uses high pressure to deliver insulin into the bloodstream and is reusable. "It is something of Star War stuff," he said, pointing out that the patient will only have to keep the head of the syringe in contact with the skin and "shoot."

"The needleless-syringe is a product of a tie-up between a United States company and the ASE and was soft-launched in Chennai recently as part of a conference on diabetes," Sarabhai said. "The full supply will commence in two months. The new syringe is likely to be costly, but in the long run it will be cost effective since it is reusable," he added. The conventional disposable syringes used by the patients are expensive when compared to the new syringe which is a "life-long product", he said.

Sarabhai, who is here to attend the 49th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress, said that one important factor to be taken into consideration in the new technology was the dose form. Patients would have to be educated to draw the exact dose for each shot. The syringes will be imported from the United States, but later the Sarabhai Group will start manufacturing them.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.