aluetta^®

Introducing the aluetta pen for your Saizen^® injections. Aluetta is easy to prepare and simple to operate. With its sturdy aluminium body, aluetta pens are sleek but robust, and are made to last.¹

The aluetta pens are available in three presentations (6mg, 12mg and 20mg), and each pen is colour-coded to match the corresponding Saizen cartridge.²

Click on the links below to find out more about using your aluetta pen for your Saizen injections. If you have any questions about your treatment, please contact your doctor or nurse.

Help & FAQs for the aluetta^® pen

Using the aluetta^® pen

Priming of the pen only needs to be done when inserting a new cartridge, this is an important step to ensure any air is removed. Make sure that the cartridge strength number (6mg, 12mg or 20mg) matches the number printed on your aluetta pen.
Once the new cartridge has been inserted, turn the dose selection knob to 0.2mg. Then, hold the pen so the needle is pointing upwards, and gently tap the cartridge with your finger. Next, push the dose injection button until it stops. Repeat this step until a small drop of liquid appears at the tip of the needle. If this does not happen, repeat this step up to five times.
If this does not work, and you still do not see a small drop on the tip of the needle, please remove the cartridge and contact your health care professional. Watch the priming video ‘How to insert a new cartridge, prime the pen and set dose’ in the player higher up this page.

Once the aluetta pen has been removed from the fridge, ensure you wait 5 minutes or more before commencing with the injection process. If injections continue to be painful, please contact your healthcare professional who can discuss injection sites with you.

The aluetta pen injector and cartridge are available in 3 presentations: 6mg, 12mg and 20mg. Always make sure the Saizen amount (in milligrams) on the cartridge label matches the number printed on the aluetta pen injector, and that this is the combination your healthcare professional prescribed to you.
Depending on the dose change required, it may be that a new aluetta pen is required, as well as a new cartridge. This is important as the colour coded plunger rods inside each aluetta pen will only fit with the corresponding cartridge.

Try to ensure that you press the injection button with your thumb straight in the middle of the injection button. Do not inject at an angle.
When you inject, ensure that the button is pressed all the way down, and hold this while slowly counting to 10. Before removing the pen from the skin, make sure the number ‘0.0’ appears in the dose window. If the number ‘0.0’ does not appear, press the injection button again and continue pressing until the number ‘0.0’ appears. Once ‘0.0’ appears in the dose window, the pen can be removed from the skin.

If your aluetta pen will only let you dial some of your prescribed dose, there may not be enough medication left in the cartridge to inject a full dose. In this situation, you can perform two injections. For example, if your prescribed dose is 1.5mg, but the pen will only let you dial up 0.7mg, you can inject 0.7mg first. Then you must discard the empty cartridge and the used needle, insert a new cartridge and new needle. You would then need to prime the new cartridge. Once the new cartridge has been primed, you can dial up the remaining dose, in order to have the full prescribed dose administered. In this example, you would dial up 0.8mg (prescribed dose – dose dialled in first injection, e.g: 1.5mg – 0.7mg = 0.8mg), and then inject as normal.

Firstly, twist and remove the cartridge holder from the pen injector body. If the plunger is extended, hold the plunger return ring and gently twist the pen injector body. This will retract the plunger. You should rotate this until you cannot rotate it anymore. Do not force this or rotate too hard, as this can damage the pen and make it tricky to dial a dose.

Storage and maintenance

As advised in the Saizen Patient Information Leaflet, Saizen must be stored in a refrigerator between 2°C-8°C. The cartridge must not be frozen. After the first injection, the aluetta pen injector containing the Saizen cartridge has to be stored in a refrigerator (2°C-8°C) for a maximum of 28 days. However, up to 7 of these 28 days can be outside of a refrigerator at or below 25°C.
The 7 days that Saizen can be kept outside the refrigerator do not need to be consecutive. For example, if Saizen is taken out of the fridge on a Monday and put back in on Wednesday (2 days), you will have 5 days left that it can be outside the fridge. Once Saizen has been out of the fridge for a total of 7 days, it must stay in the fridge for the rest of the time you use it.

To clean the outside of your aluetta pen injector, use a clean damp cloth. Do not immerse the pen in water. Do not clean with any cleaning solutions, chemicals or alcohol wipes.
The empty cartridge holder can be soaked in warm water for a few minutes. Allow this to fully dry before reassembling the pen. The aluetta pen injector should be stored in its storage box, and stored according to the Saizen Patient Information Leaflet, until you need it next.

The aluetta pen should be replaced 3 years after it is first used. To help you remember this, on the back of the pen’s storage box write the date you receive the pen. Then below this, write the expiration date. This will be exactly 3 years after the pen was first used.

Needles and Cartridges

Only Saizen cartridges can be used in the aluetta pen. There are 3 available Saizen cartridges (6mg, 12mg and 20mg). Aluetta pens are available in 3 presentations (6mg, 12mg and 20mg), and each pen is colour-coded to match the corresponding Saizen cartridge. Please ensure you are using the correct combination of Saizen cartridge and aluetta pen.

Please discuss with your doctor or nurse, which needle you should be using.

You should discard the empty, expired or broken cartridges, as well as used needles, in a biohazard (sharps) container, always complying with your local regulations. Contact your doctor or nurse for more information.

After the first injection with the Saizen cartridge, the cartridge MUST be discarded after 28 days. It is important to keep a note of the first day each cartridge was used, after 28 days from this initial date you must discard the cartridge.
Even if there is medication remaining in the cartridge after the 28 days, this cannot be used.

To attach the needle, gently twist/screw this onto the pen. Do not push or force the needle onto the pen.

Travel with the aluetta^® pen

The aluetta pen containing a Saizen cartridge can be kept outside the refrigerator for up to 7 days, provided the temperature does not exceed 25°C. Upon reaching your destination, you can return the aluetta pen to the refrigerator. This can be done on up to 7 non-consecutive days. Once Saizen has been outside the fridge for a total of 7 days, it must remain in the refrigerator for the rest of the time it is in use.

1. Sauer M, Abbotts C. A new pen device for injection of recombinant human growth hormone: a convenience, functionality and usability evaluation study. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2018;12:27–34.
2. Instructions for Use: Aluetta pen injector 6mg, 12mg and 20mg.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the package leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard

In the Republic of Ireland, side effects can be reported online at www.hpra.ie
or by calling (01) 6764971.

Adverse events can also be reported to Merck Medical: Tel: +44 (0)20 8818 7373 or at medinfo.uk@merckgroup.com

By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

aluetta®

How do I prime the aluetta pen?

How can I make the injection less painful?

What shall I do when my doctor prescribes me a new dose?

What should I do if the dose window does not go back to zero after the injection?

My aluetta pen will not let me dial my full dose, what should I do?

How do I insert a cartridge?

How do I store my aluetta pen?

How do I look after my aluetta pen?

How long can I use my aluetta pen for?

What cartridge can I use in my aluetta pen?

Can I choose another needle type?

How do I dispose of empty or discarded cartridges and used needles?

How long can each cartridge be used for?

How do I attach the needle onto the pen?

Can I travel with my aluetta pen?

Reporting of side effects:

aluetta^®