In 12-month parallel studies in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, HbA_1c did not differ between patients treated with human regular insulin and those treated with Humalog.

Hypoglycemia

While the overall rate of hypoglycemia did not differ between patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes treated with Humalog compared with human regular insulin, patients with type 1 diabetes treated with Humalog had fewer hypoglycemic episodes between midnight and 6 a.m. The lower rate of hypoglycemia in the Humalog-treated group may have been related to higher nocturnal blood glucose levels, as reflected by a small increase in mean fasting blood glucose levels.

Humalog in Combination with Sulfonylurea Agents

In a two-month study in patients with fasting hyperglycemia despite maximal dosing with sulfonylureas (SU), patients were randomized to one of three treatment regimens; Humulin® NPH at bedtime plus SU, Humalog three times a day before meals plus SU, or Humalog three times a day before meals and Humulin NPH at bedtime. The combination of Humalog and SU resulted in an improvement in HbA_1c accompanied by a weight gain (see Table 2).

Table 2 : Results of a Two-Month Study in Which Humalog Was Added to Sulfonylurea Therapy in Patients Not Adequately Controlled on Sulfonylurea Alone

Humalog in External Insulin Pumps

To evaluate the administration of Humalog via external insulin pumps, two open-label cross-over design studies were performed in patients with type 1 diabetes. One study involved 39 patients treated for 24 weeks with Humalog or regular human insulin. After 12 weeks of treatment, the mean HbA_1c values decreased from 7.8% to 7.2% in the Humalog-treated patients and from 7.8% to 7.5% in the regular insulin-treated patients. Another study involved 60 patients treated for 24 weeks with either Humalog or buffered regular human insulin. After 12 weeks of treatment, the mean HbA_1c values decreased from 7.7% to 7.4% in the Humalog-treated patients and remained unchanged from 7.7% in the buffered regular insulin-treated patients. Rates of hypoglycemia were comparable between treatment groups in both studies. Humalog administration in insulin pumps has not been studied in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Bookmark this page: