Insulin glargine 300 units/mL: A new basal insulin product for diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE

The pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of U-300 insulin glargine for the management of diabetes are reviewed.

SUMMARY

U-300 (300 units/mL) insulin glargine is a long-acting basal insulin with low within-day variability, high day-to-day reproducibility, longer duration, and constant pharmacokinetic profile compared with U-100 (100 units/mL) insulin glargine. U-300 was evaluated in six randomized, active-comparator, open-label, Phase III clinical studies (EDITION trials) among patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes. The primary endpoint for all EDITION studies was the reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin from baseline to six months. Safety endpoints included confirmed or nocturnal hypoglycemia between week 9 and month 6 and the change in weight from baseline. For hypoglycemic episodes, U-300 insulin glargine was superior to U-100 insulin glargine when comparing the risk of hypoglycemia. U-300 insulin glargine is supplied in a prefilled device (for safety purposes) and packaged in boxes of three or five pens. It is still early to determine the role of U-300 insulin glargine in diabetes management. When compared with U-100 insulin glargine, U-300 insulin glargine appeared to be associated with a lower risk of hypoglycemia and nocturnal hypoglycemia, most likely due to its pharmacokinetics. The wholesale average cost of U-300 insulin glargine is $335.48 per box of three pens.

CONCLUSION

The efficacy outcomes of U-300 insulin glargine were similar to those of U-100 insulin glargine, but the constant pharmacokinetic profile and longer duration of action of U-300 insulin glargine may help certain patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes achieve better glycemic control.