HUMULIN® (insulin human) and HUMALOG® (insulin lispro): Pharmacodynamic Properties

Detailed Information

• The time course of action of any insulin may vary considerably in different individuals or at different times within the same individual.^1,2

• As with all insulin preparations, the duration of action of the specific insulin product is dependent on site of injection, injection site blood supply, temperature, meal pattern, coadministered medications, physical activity, and renal or hepatic function.^1,2

Humalog-Specific Information

• Products containing Humalog differ from regular human insulin because of their rapid onset of action as well as a shorter duration of activity. When used as a mealtime insulin, the dose of Humalog should be given within 15 minutes before or immediately after the meal.¹

• Doses of the Humalog premixtures (Humalog Mix50/50 or Humalog Mix75/25) should be given within 15 minutes before a meal.^3,4

• One unit of Humalog has the same glucose-lowering effect as 1 unit of regular human insulin, but its effect is more rapid and of shorter duration.¹ Additional information may be found in the prescribing information for the specific Humalog product.

Pharmacodynamic Properties of Lilly Insulin Products

 

Table 1. Onset, Peak Insulin Concentration, and Duration of Action for Lilly Insulin Products^1-7

Insulin Product	Onset	Dose (units/kg)a	Time to Peak Insulin Concentrationb	Duration
Humalog	More rapid onset than regular human insulin	0.1-0.4	30 to 90 minutes	Shorter than regular human insulin
Humulin R U-100	Approximately 30 minutes (10 to 75 minutes)	0.05-0.4	36 to 150 minutes	Approximately 8 hours (range, 3 to 14 hours)
Humulin R U-500	Less than 15 minutes	0.4-0.6 and 0.8-1.3	4 hours (0.5 to 8 hours)c and 8 hours (0.5 to 8 hours)d	21 hours (range, 13 to 24 hours)e
Humalog Mix75/25f	More rapid than regular human insulin	0.3	1 hour (30 minutes to 4 hours)	22 hours (range, 13 to 22 hours)
Humulin 70/30g	Approximately 50 minutes (range, 30 to 90 minutes)	0.3	2.2 hours (1 to 5 hours)	Approximately 23 hours (range, 18 to 24 hours)
Humalog Mix50/50f	More rapid than regular human insulin	0.3	1 hour (45 minutes to 13.5 hours)	22 hours (range, 11 to 22 hours)
Humulin N	Slower than regular human insulin	0.4	4 hours (1 to 12 hours)	Longer than regular human insulin, up to 24 hours

^a Euglycemic clamp study of healthy subjects.

^b Data presented as median (range) if available. 

^c 0.4-0.6 units/kg. 

^d 0.8-1.3 units/kg.

^e Credited to the high concentration of the preparation.

^f Humalog Mix products are a mixture of insulin lispro, a rapid-acting insulin, and insulin lispro protamine suspension, an intermediate-acting insulin.

^g Humulin 70/30 is a mixture of human insulin isophane suspension, an intermediate-acting insulin, and regular human insulin, a rapid-acting insulin.

Enclosed Prescribing Information

HUMALOG^® (insulin lispro injection), for subcutaneous or intravenous use, Lilly

HUMALOG^® Mix50/50 (50% insulin lispro protamine suspension and 50% insulin lispro injection [rDNA origin]), Lilly

HUMALOG® Mix75/25™ (insulin lispro protamine and insulin lispro injectable suspension), for subcutaneous use, Lilly

HUMULIN^® 70/30 (70% human insulin isophane suspension and 30% human insulin injection [rDNA origin]), injectable suspension, for subcutaneous use, Lilly

HUMULIN^® N (human insulin [rDNA origin] isophane suspension), injectable suspension, for subcutaneous use, Lilly

HUMULIN^® R U-100 (regular insulin human injection [rDNA origin]), Lilly

HUMULIN^® R U-500 (insulin human injection), for subcutaneous use, Lilly

References

1. Humalog [package insert]. Indianapolis, IN: Eli Lilly and Company; 2019.

2. Humulin R U-100 [package insert]. Indianapolis, IN: Eli Lilly and Company; 2019.

3. Humalog Mix50/50 [package insert]. Indianapolis, IN: Eli Lilly and Company; 2019.

4. Humalog Mix75/25 [package insert]. Indianapolis, IN: Eli Lilly and Company; 2019.

5. Humulin R U-500 [package insert]. Indianapolis, IN: Eli Lilly and Company; 2019.

6. Humulin N [package insert]. Indianapolis, IN: Eli Lilly and Company; 2019.

7. Humulin 70/30 [package insert]. Indianapolis, IN: Eli Lilly and Company; 2019.