According to the site, not only is it shorter, it's thinner:
http://www.avonex.com/once-weekly-injections.xml
Click on the "compare needle sizes" link to see a pic.
I can tell you from experience, it is completely possible to inject into muscle with a 5/8" needle, especially when using an auto-injecting device. That's a big part of the ouch for users of the Copaxone Auto-Inflictor using the wrong settings.
According to this : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21999176
bio-markers that indicate interferon action were similar using the pen as the standard syringe.
Either way, a 5/8" needle will hit muscle for most folks, especially when properly injected in the right area. I'd also encourage you to Google "Epi-Pen". It gets injected IM in the same area as the Avonex pen and has a needle of about 5/8" in an automatic injection gadget. This explains how it's able to inject deeper than its needle length with compression on tissue by the activation mechanism of the injecting device: http://www.omicsonline.org/2155-6121...6.php?aid=5473
It's one of those things you do have to check with the dr. It's a one size fits average kind of thing. Someone larger than average may need the longer needle, but it seems according to studies, a needle of the shorter length will work for most.
http://www.avonex.com/once-weekly-injections.xml
Click on the "compare needle sizes" link to see a pic.
I can tell you from experience, it is completely possible to inject into muscle with a 5/8" needle, especially when using an auto-injecting device. That's a big part of the ouch for users of the Copaxone Auto-Inflictor using the wrong settings.
According to this : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21999176
bio-markers that indicate interferon action were similar using the pen as the standard syringe.
Either way, a 5/8" needle will hit muscle for most folks, especially when properly injected in the right area. I'd also encourage you to Google "Epi-Pen". It gets injected IM in the same area as the Avonex pen and has a needle of about 5/8" in an automatic injection gadget. This explains how it's able to inject deeper than its needle length with compression on tissue by the activation mechanism of the injecting device: http://www.omicsonline.org/2155-6121...6.php?aid=5473
It's one of those things you do have to check with the dr. It's a one size fits average kind of thing. Someone larger than average may need the longer needle, but it seems according to studies, a needle of the shorter length will work for most.
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