Plaster could give relief for diabetics

The daily injections endured by thousands of diabetics could become a memory thanks to a revolutionary plaster being developed in Britain.

The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts has given £120,000 ($335,000) to researchers working on the plaster, which contains a tiny pump to deliver insulin or other drugs.

The plaster, being developed by Swansea-based Starbridge Systems, is worn on the skin and lets patients carry and receive a three-day supply of insulin anywhere on their body.

Current insulin pumps are worn like a pager on the belt and deliver insulin through a catheter into the skin. These can be bulky and tubes can become blocked.