Biology:Insulin glargine

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Short description: Long-acting insulin

Insulin glargine
Toujeo branded insulin glargine
Clinical data
Trade namesLantus, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa600027
License data
Pregnancy
category
Routes of
administration		Subcutaneous
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Onset of action~1 hour[9]
Duration of action24–36 hours[9]
Identifiers
CAS Number
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
  • none
UNII
KEGG
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC267H404N72O78S6
Molar mass6062.96 g·mol−1
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Insulin glargine sold, among others, under the brand name Lantus (manufactured and marketed by Sanofi) is a long-acting modified form of medical insulin, used in the management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.[9] It is injected just under the skin.[9] Effects generally begin an hour after use.[9]

Common side effects include low blood sugar, problems at the site of injection, itchiness, and weight gain.[9] Other serious side effects include low blood potassium.[9] NPH insulin rather than insulin glargine is generally preferred in pregnancy.[15] After injection, microcrystals slowly release insulin for about 24 hours.[9] This insulin causes body tissues to absorb glucose from the blood and decreases glucose production by the liver.[9]

Insulin glargine was patented, but the patent expired in most jurisdictions in 2014. It was approved for medical use in the United States in 2000.[9] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[16] In 2023, it was the 30th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 18 million prescriptions.[17][18] In July 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an interchangeable biosimilar insulin product called Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn) for the treatment of diabetes.[19]

Medical uses

The long-acting insulin class, which includes insulin glargine, do not appear much better than neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin,[20] but do have a greater cost, making them, as of 2010, not cost effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.[21] In a previous review it was unclear if there is a difference in hypoglycemia, as there was not enough data to determine any differences with respect to long term outcomes,[22] however a more recent Cochrane systematic review did not find clinically significant difference when comparing insulin glargine to NPH insulin, insulin detemir or insulin degludec in the management of type 1 diabetes in either adults or children over periods of 6 months or longer.[20] It is not typically the recommended long-acting insulin in the United Kingdom.[15]

Semglee is indicated to improve glycemic control in adults and children with type 1 diabetes and in adults with type 2 diabetes.[19] Semglee is both biosimilar to, and interchangeable with, its reference product Lantus (insulin glargine), a long-acting insulin analog.[19]

Mixing with other insulins

The American Diabetes Association said in 2003 that, unlike some other longer-acting insulins, glargine should not be diluted or mixed with other insulin or solution in the same syringe, due to the low pH of its diluent.[23] However, a 2004 study found that mixing glargine with other insulins did not affect short-term glycemic profile.[24]

Adverse effects

Common side effects include low blood sugar, problems at the site of injection, itchiness, and weight gain.[9] Serious side effects include low blood potassium.[9]

As of 2012, tentative evidence shows no association between insulin glargine and cancer.[25] Previous studies had raised concerns.[26]

When comparing insulin glargine to NPH insulin, insulin detemir or insulin degludec, no significant adverse effects were found in the management of type 1 diabetes in either adults or children in periods of six months or longer.[20]

Pharmacology

Mechanism of action

Insulin glargine differs from human insulin by replacing asparagine with glycine in position 21 of the A-chain and by carboxy-terminal extension of B-chain by 2 arginine residues. The arginine amino acids shift the isoelectric point from a pH of 5.4 to 6.7, making the molecule more soluble at an acidic pH and less soluble at physiological pH. The isoelectric shift also allows for the subcutaneous injection of a clear solution. The glycine substitution prevents deamidation of the acid-sensitive asparagine at acidic pH. In the neutral subcutaneous space, higher-order aggregates form, resulting in a slow, peakless dissolution and absorption of insulin from the site of injection.[27]

History

In June 2000, the European Commission formally approved the launching of Lantus by Sanofi-Aventis Germany in the European Union.[28] The admission was prolonged on 9 June 2005.[29]

A three-fold more concentrated formulation, brand name Toujeo, was introduced after FDA approval in 2015.[30][31]

Biosimilars

Abasaglar was authorized for medical use in the European Union in September 2014.[13][32]

Lusduna was authorized for medical use in the European Union in January 2017.[33]

Semglee was authorized for medical use in the European Union in March 2018.[34]

Semglee (glargine-yfgn) was approved for medical use in the United States in July 2021.[12]

Rezvoglar (glargine-aglr) was approved for medical use in the United States in December 2021.[10]

In November 2025, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Ondibta, intended for the treatment of diabetes.[35] The applicant for this medicinal product is Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals Europe GmbH.[35] Ondibta is a biosimilar medicinal product that is highly similar to the reference product Lantus, which was authorized in the EU in June 2000.[35] Ondibta was authorized for medical use in the European Union in January 2026.[35][36]

Patent expiry

Patent protection for insulin glargine expired in the European Union and the United States in 2014.[37] Insulin glargine from competitor Eli Lilly became available in most countries during 2015, under the brand names Basaglar (as a follow-on in the US) and Abasaglar (as a biosimilar in the EU).[37]

Brand names

Insulin glargine is sold under various brand names including Basaglar,[5] Lantus,[4] and Toujeo.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Insulin glargine Use During Pregnancy". 6 April 2020. https://www.drugs.com/pregnancy/insulin-glargine.html. 
  2. ↑ "Lantus Product information". 23 October 2007. https://health-products.canada.ca/dpd-bdpp/info?lang=eng&code=69790. 
  3. ↑ "Lantus 100 units/ml solution for injection in a cartridge - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)". https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/2376/smpc. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Lantus- insulin glargine injection, solution Lantus SoloStar- insulin glargine injection, solution". https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=d5e07a0c-7e14-4756-9152-9fea485d654a. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Basaglar Kwikpen- insulin glargine injection, solution; Basaglar Tempo Pen- insulin glargine injection, solution". 11 December 2025. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=0ad21db3-2b1c-4ed9-a687-bdd6a74d0aae. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Toujeo- insulin glargine injection, solution; Toujeo Max- insulin glargine injection, solution". 30 May 2025. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=c9561d96-124d-48ca-982f-0aa1575bff36. 
  7. ↑ "Lantus EPAR". 8 May 2009. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/lantus. 
  8. ↑ "Toujeo EPAR". 11 May 2009. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/toujeo. 
  9. ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 "Insulin Glargine Monograph for Professionals". AHFS. https://www.drugs.com/monograph/insulin-glargine.html. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Rezvoglar Kwikpen- insulin glargine-aglr injection, solution". 9 August 2024. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=f6af8706-2058-4fe1-99c8-43684c20bfa2. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Biosimilar Drug Information". 11 May 2026. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/biosimilars/biosimilar-product-information. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Semglee- insulin glargine-yfgn injection, solution". 3 March 2025. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=8cf5544f-87d6-468b-f6ae-898b1fdb5d80. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Abasaglar EPAR". 14 October 2014. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/abasaglar. 
  14. ↑ "Summary Basis of Decision - Semglee". 23 August 2022. https://hpr-rps.hres.ca/reg-content/summary-basis-decision-detailTwo.php?lang=en&linkID=SBD00600&lang=en. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 British national formulary: BNF 76 (76th ed.). Pharmaceutical Press. 2018. p. 701. ISBN 978-0-85711-338-2. 
  16. ↑ The selection and use of essential medicines, 2025: WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, 24th list. Geneva: World Health Organization. 2025. doi:10.2471/B09474. 
  17. ↑ "Top 300 of 2023". https://clincalc.com/DrugStats/Top300Drugs.aspx. 
  18. ↑ "Insulin Glargine Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2014 - 2023". https://clincalc.com/DrugStats/Drugs/InsulinGlargine. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 "FDA Approves First Interchangeable Biosimilar Insulin Product for Treatment of Diabetes". U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Press release). 28 July 2021. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "(Ultra-)long-acting insulin analogues for people with type 1 diabetes mellitus". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 3 (4). March 2021. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd013498.pub2. PMID 33662147. 
  21. ↑ "Newer agents for blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes: systematic review and economic evaluation". Health Technology Assessment 14 (36): 1–248. July 2010. doi:10.3310/hta14360. PMID 20646668. 
  22. ↑ "Efficacy and safety of insulin analogues for the management of diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis". CMAJ 180 (4): 385–397. February 2009. doi:10.1503/cmaj.081041. PMID 19221352. 
  23. ↑ American Diabetes Association (January 2003). "Insulin administration". Diabetes Care 26 (Suppl. 1): S121–S124. doi:10.2337/diacare.26.2007.S121. PMID 12502637. 
  24. ↑ "Effects of mixing glargine and short-acting insulin analogs on glucose control". Diabetes Care 27 (11): 2739–2740. November 2004. doi:10.2337/diacare.27.11.2739. PMID 15505016. 
  25. ↑ "Insulin glargine and cancer risk in patients with diabetes: a meta-analysis". PLOS ONE 7 (12). 2012. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051814. PMID 23284776. Bibcode: 2012PLoSO...751814T. 
  26. ↑ "Glargine safety, diabetes and cancer". Expert Opinion on Drug Safety 12 (2): 247–263. March 2013. doi:10.1517/14740338.2013.770469. PMID 23394441. 
  27. ↑ "Insulin analogues and their potential in the management of diabetes mellitus". Diabetologia 42 (10): 1151–1167. October 1999. doi:10.1007/s001250051286. PMID 10525654. 
  28. ↑ "Lantus EPAR". 8 May 2009. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/lantus. 
  29. ↑ EPAR Lantus , German summary of admission report of the European Medicines Agency (PDF)
  30. ↑ "Sanofi Receives FDA Approval of Once-Daily Basal Insulin Toujeo" (Press release). Sanofi. 25 February 2015. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015.
  31. ↑ "Drug Approval Package: Toujeo (Insulin Glargine) Injection". 2 March 2016. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2015/206538Orig1s000TOC.html. 
  32. ↑ "Abasaglar Product information". 11 September 2014. https://ec.europa.eu/health/documents/community-register/html/h944.htm. 
  33. ↑ "Lusduna EPAR". 12 January 2017. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/lusduna. 
  34. ↑ "Semglee EPAR". 23 May 2018. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/semglee. 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 "Ondibta". 14 November 2025. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/ondibta. 
  36. ↑ "Ondibta Product information". 9 January 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/health/documents/community-register/html/h2000.htm. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Biosimilars of insulin glargine". GaBI Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. 27 November 2020. https://gabionline.net/biosimilars/general/Biosimilars-of-insulin-glargine. 



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