MODEL RELEASED. Novopen. View of a teenage girl holding a novopen. The novopen is a pen-like device which meters out the correct dose of insulin from portable cartridges. Regular insulin injections are required by diabetes mellitus sufferers. The dose is regulated by the dial on the end of the pen (not seen here). Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas which helps convert blood sugar to energy. Diabetes is a condition in which too little insulin is made. The consequence of this is that the body uses fats as an alternative to sugar. This causes a ketone build-up causing convulsions and coma. Treatment is a strict diet and regular insulin doses.