June 19, 2002
Insulin Analogs
Question from Toronto, Canada:
Through readings on this website, I understand there is a relatively new insulin on the market in the United States but not yet available in Canada. Can you tell me something about it? To my understanding it is a long lasting non-peak insulin. How long does it last? How can it be non-peak (what goes up must come down)? Does one need to take more injections of short acting insulin? How long has it been available in the US? Is it still in its trial period? How is it received? When will it be available in Canada?
Answer:
The generic name for Lantus is glargine. It is a modified insulin analog.
In my experience, it is not really a full 24 hour insulin but it seems to be more predictable than other longer lasting insulins. You should discuss with your pediatric diabetes team since they will know when it will be available in Canada. It became available first in Germany earlier in 2000 and in USA around May, 2001.
SB
