J&J Medical to launch insulin pumps in India by year-end

Johnson and Johnson Medical India, plans to introduce its insulin pump for diabetes patients in the country by end-this year, a top company official said.        

"We are planning to launch insulin pumps in India by this December," Johnson and Johnson Medical India, Managing Director, A Vaidheesh, said here.        

Johnson and Johnson Medical is a division of healthcare major, Johnson and Johnson, and is a leading global manufacturer of medical devices.        

The company will initially launch 3,000 insulin pumps and then 4,000 units next year, Vaidheesh added.

Priced at between Rs 50,000-75,000 per pump, the device is designed and manufactured by its parent company, Johnson and Johnson, and would help regulate the insulin level in diabetic patients.        

The device will be imported from the US, where it is being manufactured and has proved efficient for users, Vaidheesh said.        

The device, attached to the patient's body for 24-hours, helps monitor and regulate insulin levels while delivering the drug at a steady rate suited to an individual's needs.

The pump also needs a catridge which is priced at Rs 50 and needs to be refilled every day.        

The company is agressively concentrating on diabetics control in India as there was an immense potential in this segment, Vaidheesh said.        

The number of diabetics was growing in the country, he added, saying initially the company expects around 5 per cent of the total diabetic population in the country to use the company's product.