Sanofi gets US FDA OK for talking injection device

Sanofi has received US FDA approval for an auto-injector that gives audio and visual cues to assist in the injection process.

The product - Auvi-Q (epinephrine injection, USP) – is used for the treatment of allergic reactions in people who are at risk for or have a history of anaphylaxis.

The idea is that under such life-threatening circumstances the device talks users or caregivers through each step of the injection process with audible and visual cues, including a five-second injection countdown and an alert light to signal when the injection is complete.

Sanofi licensed North American commercialization rights to Auvi-Q from Intelliject, which has retained commercialization rights for the rest of the world.

Bryan Downey, Vice President, Auvi-Q, Sanofi US, said: “With this FDA approval, Auvi-Q will become the first-and-only epinephrine auto-injector that talks users through each step of the injection process,”

The French drugmaker licensed North American commercialization rights to Auvi-Q from Intelliject, which has retained commercialization rights for the rest of the world.