Ultra-Rapid Lispro results in accelerated insulin lispro absorption and faster early insulin action in comparison with Humalog® in Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes

Evolution of biosynthetic human insulin and its analogues for diabetes management

Hormones play a crucial role in maintaining the normal human physiology. By acting as chemical messengers that facilitate the communication between different organs, tissues and cells of the body hormones assist in responding appropriately to external and internal stimuli that trigger growth, development and metabolic activities of the body. Any abnormalities in the hormonal composition and balance can lead to devastating health consequences. Hormones have been important therapeutic agents since the early 20th century, when it was realized that their exogenous supply could serve as a functional substitution for those hormones which are not produced enough or are completely lacking, endogenously. Insulin, the pivotal anabolic hormone in the body, was used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder due to the absence or intolerance towards insulin, since 1921 and is the trailblazer in hormone therapeutics. At present the largest market share for therapeutic hormones is held by insulin. Many other hormones were introduced into clinical practice following the success with insulin. However, for the six decades following the introduction the first therapeutic hormone, there was no reliable method for producing human hormones. The most common source for hormones were animals, although semisynthetic and synthetic hormones were also developed. However, none of these were optimal because of their allergenicity, immunogenicity, lack of consistency in purity and most importantly, scalability. The advent of recombinant DNA technology was a game changer for hormone therapeutics. This revolutionary molecular biology tool made it possible to synthesize human hormones in microbial cell factories. The approach allowed for the synthesis of highly pure hormones which were structurally and biochemically identical to the human hormones. Further, the fermentation techniques utilized to produce recombinant hormones were highly scalable. Moreover, by employing tools such as site directed mutagenesis along with recombinant DNA technology, it became possible to amend the molecular structure of the hormones to achieve better efficacy and mimic the exact physiology of the endogenous hormone. The first recombinant hormone to be deployed in clinical practice was insulin. It was called biosynthetic human insulin to reflect the biological route of production. Subsequently, the biochemistry of recombinant insulin was modified using the possibilities of recombinant DNA technology and genetic engineering to produce analogues that better mimic physiological insulin. These analogues were tailored to exhibit pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the prandial and basal human insulins to achieve better glycemic control. The present chapter explores the principles of genetic engineering applied to therapeutic hormones by reviewing the evolution of therapeutic insulin and its analogues. It also focuses on how recombinant analogues account for the better management of diabetes mellitus.

Prandial Insulins: A Person-Centered Choice

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Postprandial hyperglycemia, or elevated blood glucose after meals, is associated with the development and progression of various diabetes-related complications. Prandial insulins are designed to replicate the natural insulin release after meals and are highly effective in managing post-meal glucose spikes. Currently, different types of prandial insulins are available such as human regular insulin, rapid-acting analogs, ultra-rapid-acting analogs, and inhaled insulins. Knowledge about diverse landscape of prandial insulin will optimize glycemic management.

RECENT FINDINGS

Human regular insulin, identical to insulin produced by the human pancreas, has a slower onset and extended duration, potentially leading to post-meal hyperglycemia and later hypoglycemia. In contrast, rapid-acting analogs, such as lispro, aspart, and glulisine, are new insulin types with amino acid modifications that enhance their subcutaneous absorption, resulting in a faster onset and shorter action duration. Ultra-rapid analogs, like faster aspart and ultra-rapid lispro, offer even shorter onset of action, providing better meal-time flexibility. The Technosphere insulin offers an inhaled route for prandial insulin delivery. The prandial insulins can be incorporated into basal-bolus, basal plus, or prandial-only regimens or delivered through insulin pumps. Human regular insulin, aspart, lispro, and faster aspart are recommended for management of hyperglycemia during pregnancy. Ongoing research is focused on refining prandial insulin replacement and exploring newer delivery methods. The article provides a comprehensive overview of various prandial insulin options and their clinical applications in the management of diabetes.

Total Pancreatectomy in a Patient Treated with a Sensor-augmented Pump Showing No Evidence of Hyperglycemia or Ketoacidosis without Any Insulin Administration

Total pancreatectomy results in complete loss of insulin and glucagon. Sensor-augmented pumps (SAPs) allow fine-tuning of the basal insulin rate, which helps avoid both hypo- and hyperglycemic events. We herein report a case of total pancreatectomy treated with a SAP with no evidence of ketoacidosis without any insulin administration during a certain period of time. Furthermore, we observed a sudden drop in blood glucose levels without insulin, which may have been due to glucose effectiveness. Our case is valuable in arguing the concept of glucose effectiveness in the absence of insulin and glucagon.

The Role of Ultra-Rapid-Acting Insulin Analogs in Diabetes: An Expert Consensus

Ultra-rapid-acting insulin analogs (URAA) are a further development and refinement of rapid-acting insulin analogs. Because of their adapted formulation, URAA provide an even faster pharmacokinetics and thus an accelerated onset of insulin action than conventional rapid-acting insulin analogs, allowing for a more physiologic delivery of exogenously applied insulin. Clinical trials have confirmed the superiority of URAA in controlling postprandial glucose excursions, with a safety profile that is comparable to the rapid-acting insulins. Consequently, many individuals with diabetes mellitus may benefit from URAA in terms of prandial glycemic control. Unfortunately, there are only few available recommendations from authoritative sources for use of URAA in clinical practice. Therefore, this expert consensus report aims to define populations of people with diabetes mellitus for whom URAA may be beneficial and to provide health care professionals with concrete, practical recommendations on how best to use URAA in this context.

A mechanistic modeling platform of SGLT2 inhibition: Implications for type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease characterized by abnormally high blood glucose concentrations due to dysfunction of the insulin-producing beta-cells in the pancreas. Dapagliflozin, an inhibitor of renal glucose reabsorption, has the potential to improve often suboptimal glycemic control in patients with T1DM through insulin-independent mechanisms and to partially mitigate the adverse effects associated with long-term insulin administration. In this work, we have adapted a systems pharmacology model of type 2 diabetes mellitus to describe the T1DM condition and characterize the effect of dapagliflozin on short- and long-term glycemic markers under various treatment scenarios. The developed platform serves as a quantitative tool for the in silico evaluation of the insulin-glucose-dapagliflozin crosstalk, optimization of the treatment regimens, and it can be further expanded to include additional therapies or other aspects of the disease.

Photoacoustic imaging reveals mechanisms of rapid-acting insulin formulations dynamics at the injection site

OBJECTIVE

Ultra-rapid insulin formulations control postprandial hyperglycemia; however, inadequate understanding of injection site absorption mechanisms is limiting further advancement. We used photoacoustic imaging to investigate the injection site dynamics of dye-labeled insulin lispro in the Humalog® and Lyumjev® formulations using the murine ear cutaneous model and correlated it with results from unlabeled insulin lispro in pig subcutaneous injection model.

METHODS

We employed dual-wavelength optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy to study the absorption and diffusion of the near-infrared dye-labeled insulin lispro in the Humalog and Lyumjev formulations in mouse ears. We mathematically modeled the experimental data to calculate the absorption rate constants and diffusion coefficients. We studied the pharmacokinetics of the unlabeled insulin lispro in both the Humalog and Lyumjev formulations as well as a formulation lacking both the zinc and phenolic preservative in pigs. The association state of insulin lispro in each of the formulations was characterized using SV-AUC and NMR spectroscopy.

RESULTS

Through experiments using murine and swine models, we show that the hexamer dissociation rate of insulin lispro is not the absorption rate-limiting step. We demonstrated that the excipients in the Lyumjev formulation produce local tissue expansion and speed both insulin diffusion and microvascular absorption. We also show that the diffusion of insulin lispro at the injection site drives its initial absorption; however, the rate at which the insulin lispro crosses the blood vessels is its overall absorption rate-limiting step.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insights into injection site dynamics of insulin lispro and the impact of formulation excipients. It also demonstrates photoacoustic microscopy as a promising tool for studying protein therapeutics. The results from this study address critical questions around the subcutaneous behavior of insulin lispro and the formulation excipients, which could be useful to make faster and better controlled insulin formulations in the future.

Similar Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Biosimilar SAR342434 Insulin Lispro and Japan-Approved Humalog Insulin Lispro in Healthy Japanese Subjects

This phase 1 study compared the pharmacokinetic (PK) and glucose pharmacodynamic (PD) characteristics of biosimilar SAR342434 insulin lispro and Japan‐reference Humalog insulin lispro. This was a randomized, double‐blind, 2‐period, crossover study. Thirty‐six healthy Japanese male subjects underwent a 10‐hour euglycemic clamp following a single subcutaneous 0.3‐U/kg dose of SAR342434 or Humalog. Insulin lispro concentration and blood glucose were measured, and the glucose infusion rate (GIR) was adjusted to maintain the target blood glucose level. Primary PK end points were maximum plasma insulin lispro concentration and area under the plasma insulin concentration–time curve (AUC) from time 0 to the last quantifiable concentration. Primary PD end points were area under the GIR–time curve from time 0 to 10 hours and maximum GIR. PK exposure (maximum plasma concentration and AUC from time 0 to the last quantifiable concentration) and PD activity (GIR‐AUC from time 0 to 10 hours and maximum GIR) were similar between treatments. Geometric mean ratios were close to 1, and the corresponding 90% and 95%CIs (PK and PD activity, respectively) were within the 0.80 to 1.25 equivalence range. SAR342434 and Humalog were well tolerated. In healthy Japanese males, SAR342434 and Humalog showed similar PK exposure profiles and PD potency, in support of SAR342434 use as a biosimilar product.

Ultra-Fast Insulin-Pramlintide Co-Formulation for Improved Glucose Management in Diabetic Rats

Dual-hormone replacement therapy with insulin and amylin in patients with type 1 diabetes has the potential to improve glucose management. Unfortunately, currently available formulations require burdensome separate injections at mealtimes and have disparate pharmacokinetics that do not mimic endogenous co-secretion. Here, amphiphilic acrylamide copolymers are used to create a stable co-formulation of monomeric insulin and amylin analogues (lispro and pramlintide) with synchronous pharmacokinetics and ultra-rapid action. The co-formulation is stable for over 16 h under stressed aging conditions, whereas commercial insulin lispro (Humalog) aggregates in 8 h. The faster pharmacokinetics of monomeric insulin in this co-formulation result in increased insulin-pramlintide overlap of 75 ± 6% compared to only 47 ± 7% for separate injections. The co-formulation results in similar delay in gastric emptying compared to pramlintide delivered separately. In a glucose challenge, in rats, the co-formulation reduces deviation from baseline glucose compared to insulin only, or separate insulin and pramlintide administrations. Further, comparison of interspecies pharmacokinetics of monomeric pramlintide suggests that pharmacokinetics observed for the co-formulation will be well preserved in future translation to humans. Together these results suggest that the co-formulation has the potential to improve mealtime glucose management and reduce patient burden in the treatment of diabetes.

Novel approaches to pharmacological management of type 2 diabetes in Japan

INTRODUCTION

Newly developed anti-diabetic medications have had multiple activities, beyond a blood glucose-lowering effect. Current drugs for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are based on the use of gastrointestinal hormones. Representative incretin preparations, such as those with glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 or gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) activity, aim to provide new means of controlling blood glucose levels, body weight, and lipid metabolism.

AREA COVERED

In this manuscript, the pathophysiology of T2DM and the activities and characteristics of novel diabetic drugs are reviewed in the context of the Japanese population. This review also highlights the need for novel medicines to overcome the accompanying challenges. Finally, the author provides the reader with their expert perspectives.

EXPERT OPINION

The incidence of T2DM has been increasing in the aging of Japanese society. In older people, medical development should focus on safety, easier self-administration, and the relief of caregiver burden in terms of continuous administration. In the young, the focus should be on effectiveness, with a particular emphasis on the protection of organs, increasing the ease of adherence, and safety. Novel medicines will need to push the envelope in these areas.

Dual-hormone artificial pancreas for management of type 1 diabetes: Recent progress and future directions

Over the last few years, technological advances have led to tremendous improvement in the management of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Artificial pancreas systems have been shown to improve glucose control compared with conventional insulin pump therapy. However, clinically significant hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic episodes still occur with the artificial pancreas. Postprandial glucose excursions and exercise-induced hypoglycemia represent major hurdles in improving glucose control and glucose variability in many patients with T1D. In this regard, dual-hormone artificial pancreas systems delivering other hormones in addition to insulin (glucagon or amylin) may better reproduce the physiology of the endocrine pancreas and have been suggested as an alternative tool to overcome these limitations in clinical practice. In addition, novel ultra-rapid-acting insulin analogs with a more physiological time-action profile are currently under investigation for use in artificial pancreas devices, aiming to address the unmet need for further improvements in postprandial glucose control. This review article aims to discuss the current progress and future outlook in the development of novel ultra-rapid insulin analogs and dual-hormone closed-loop systems, which offer the next steps to fully closing the loop in the artificial pancreas.

Comparative effects of insulin glulisine and lispro on postprandial plasma glucose and lipid profile in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective

The control of postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) excursions is critical in the prevention of diabetic complications. Controversy remains on the differences in postprandial actions of insulin glulisine and lispro. The aim of this study was to define the differences in the efficacy of these two insulin analogues on PPG.

Methods

The study subjects were 20 in-hospital patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Plasma glucose (PG) was tightly controlled with basal insulin and insulin glulisine or lispro, and then glulisine or lispro were switched to the other insulin analog every other day for 6 study days. PG was measured before breakfast and 0.5-, 1-, and 2 h-postprandial during the study. Postprandial plasma C-peptide and lipids were analyzed in the first 2 days of the study. Postprandial increments in each parameter were compared between glulisine and lispro.

Results

Whereas the median value of 0.5 h-Δ-PPG was comparable in glulisine and lispro, the 1 h-Δ-PPG was significantly lower with lispro than with glulisine (41 vs 53 mg/dl, respectively, p = 0.03). Similarly, the 2 h-Δ-PPG with lispro was 10 mg/dl lower than that with glulisine (35 vs 45 mg/dl, respectively, p = 0.05). In parallel with PPG, Δ-C-peptide at 1- and 2 h-postprandial were significantly lower with lispro than glulisine (0.50 vs 0.75 ng/ml, respectively, and 0.55 vs 0.75 ng/ml, respectively). The increment in LDL-C and HDL-C was significantly lower with lispro than with glulisine at 0.5 h-postprandial.

Conclusion

Insulin lispro seems superior to glulisine in the control of PPG in Japanese patients with T2DM.

Engineering biopharmaceutical formulations to improve diabetes management

Insulin was first isolated almost a century ago, yet commercial formulations of insulin and its analogs for hormone replacement therapy still fall short of appropriately mimicking endogenous glycemic control. Moreover, the controlled delivery of complementary hormones (such as amylin or glucagon) is complicated by instability of the pharmacologic agents and complexity of maintaining multiple infusions. In this review, we highlight the advantages and limitations of recent advances in drug formulation that improve protein stability and pharmacokinetics, prolong drug delivery, or enable alternative dosage forms for the management of diabetes. With controlled delivery, these formulations could improve closed-loop glycemic control.

Ultra-Rapid Lispro Efficacy and Safety Compared to Humalog® in Japanese Patients with Type 1 Diabetes: PRONTO-T1D Subpopulation Analysis

INTRODUCTION

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of ultra-rapid lispro (URLi) in comparison to lispro in a subgroup analysis of Japanese adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus from the phase 3 PRONTO-T1D trial.

METHODS

After an 8-week lead-in to optimize basal insulin treatment, patients were randomized to 52-week double-blind mealtime URLi or lispro, or 26-week open-label postmeal URLi. The primary endpoint was change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) from baseline (week 0) to week 26 between mealtime URLi and lispro. The multiplicity adjusted objectives were 1- and 2-h postprandial glucose (PPG) excursions after a meal test between mealtime URLi and lispro, and change in HbA1c from baseline to week 26 between postmeal URLi and mealtime lispro.

RESULTS

This manuscript presents pre-specified exploratory analyses of 26-week data from Japanese patients randomized to double-blind URLi (n = 62) or lispro (n = 59), or open-label URLi (n = 46). Mean baseline HbA1c levels were 7.52% for mealtime URLi, 7.44% for lispro, and 7.51% for postmeal URLi at randomization. At week 26, the least squares mean (LSM) difference compared to lispro was 0.04% (95% confidence interval [CI] - 0.14 to 0.22) for mealtime URLi, and 0.16% (95% CI - 0.04 to 0.35) for postmeal URLi. In comparison to lispro, mealtime URLi resulted in statistically significantly lower 1- and 2-h PPG excursions during the mixed-meal tolerance test. LSM differences were - 40.5 mg/dL, 95% CI - 59.5 to 21.4 (- 2.25 mmol/L, 95% CI - 3.3 to - 1.2) for 1-h PPG excursions and - 51.7 mg/dL, 95% CI - 81.7 to - 21.8 (- 2.87 mmol/L, 95% CI - 4.5 to - 1.2) for 2-h PPG excursions at week 26. There were no significant treatment differences in rates of severe/overall hypoglycemia, or incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Mealtime and postmeal URLi provide effective and comparable glycemic control in Japanese patients. Mealtime URLi demonstrated more effective PPG control compared to lispro.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03214367.

Bioequivalence of Ultra Rapid Lispro (URLi) U100 and U200 Formulations in Healthy Subjects

INTRODUCTION

Ultra rapid lispro (URLi) is a novel insulin lispro formulation that was developed to more closely match physiological insulin secretion. The aims of this study were to demonstrate the bioequivalence (BE) of a concentrated formulation (U200) of URLi to the U100 formulation of URLi after subcutaneous (SC) administration and to evaluate the glucodynamics (GD) of these formulations.

METHODS

This phase 1, randomized, two-sequence, four-period, double-blind, replicate crossover study was conducted in 68 healthy subjects. At each dosing visit, subjects received a 15-U SC dose of either U100 URLi or U200 URLi followed by a 10-h euglycemic clamp procedure. Serum insulin lispro and blood glucose concentrations were measured, and the glucose infusion rate was continuously adjusted during the clamp to maintain the target blood glucose.

RESULTS

Bioequivalence of U200 URLi relative to U100 URLi was demonstrated. The 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of the ratios of geometric least squares (LS) means for the maximum insulin concentration and total exposure were within the BE limits of 0.80-1.25. Additionally, the 90% CIs for the ratios of geometric LS means for maximum glucose infusion rate and total glucose infused were within the BE limits. The early 50% tmax occurred at approximately the same time for the U100 and U200 URLi formulations, and the insulin exposure within the first 15 min was similar for both formulations. The tolerability of the two URLi formulations was comparable.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that the U100 and U200 URLi formulations are bioequivalent. The accelerated insulin absorption observed for the U100 formulation was maintained with the U200 URLi formulation. Further, the GD were similar for both formulations, supporting the ability of individuals to transfer from U100 to U200 URLi in a 1:1 unit conversion.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT03616977.

Pharmacokinetics and Glucodynamics of Ultra Rapid Lispro (URLi) versus Humalog® (Lispro) in Younger Adults and Elderly Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Background

Ultra rapid lispro (URLi) is a novel insulin lispro formulation developed to more closely match physiological insulin secretion and improve postprandial glucose control. This study compared the pharmacokinetics, glucodynamics, safety, and tolerability of URLi and Humalog^® in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

Methods

This was a phase I, two-period, randomised, double-blind, crossover glucose clamp study in younger adult (aged 18–45 years; n = 41) and elderly (aged ≥65 years; n = 39) patients with T1DM. At each dosing visit, patients received either URLi or Humalog (15 units subcutaneously) followed by a 10 h automated euglycaemic clamp procedure. Serum insulin lispro and blood glucose were measured.

Results

Insulin lispro appeared in serum 6 min faster, and exposure was 7.2-fold greater over the first 15 min postdose with URLi versus Humalog in both age groups. Exposure beyond 3 h postdose was 39–41% lower, and exposure duration was reduced by 72–74 min with URLi versus Humalog in both age groups. Onset of insulin action was 11–12 min faster, and insulin action was 3-fold greater over the first 30 min postdose with URLi versus Humalog in both age groups. Insulin action beyond 4 h postdose was 44–54% lower, and duration of action was reduced by 34–44 min with URLi versus Humalog in both age groups. Overall exposure and total insulin action remained similar for both treatments. URLi and Humalog were well tolerated.

Conclusion

In patients with T1DM, URLi showed ultra-rapid pharmacokinetics and glucodynamics, with the differences between URLi and Humalog in elderly patients mirroring those in younger adults.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03166124.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s40262-020-00903-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.