What is the difference between Humulin NPH and NPH Iletin I?

NPH Iletin I insulin is obtained from beef and pork pancreas. Protamine and zinc are added to make it an intermediate-acting insulin. This insulin is no longer being made by Eli Lilly.

Humulin NPH is the NPH insulin available from Lilly. Humulin insulins are made in the laboratory by recombinant DNA technology, and are identical to the structure of human insulin. As with the animal insulin, NPH is made by adding zinc and protamine to make it an intermediate-acting insulin.

While some people feel that the animal and human insulins are interchangeable, many people with diabetes feel otherwise, and are concerned about the lack of availability of the beef-pork insulins.

LM
Additional comments from Dr. Quick:

In the United States, there are two companies making insulin: Eli Lilly, and Novo-Nordisk. Novo-Nordisk has a similar product line to that of Eli Lilly, except that they do not have equivalent products for Ultralente nor for lispro insulin (Humalog) at this time.

WWQ