Concentrated insulins: the new basal insulins

Evaluating the clinical effectiveness and safety of insulin glargine 300 U/mL in individuals with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled on basal insulin: A real-world evidence study from Saudi Arabia (EVOLUTION)

AIM

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety profile of switching to insulin glargine 300 U/mL (Gla-U300) in patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes (T2D) on basal insulin in Saudi Arabia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a multicentre retrospective study that retrieved the medical records of adult T2D patients switched to Gla-U300 because of poor glycaemic control on their basal insulin. Data covering 6 months ± 30 days before and after the switch were retrieved.

RESULTS

Data from 718 patients were analysed. The mean HbA1c decreased significantly 6 months after switching to Gla-U300, with a mean reduction of 0.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.6%-0.9%; P < .001). The percentage of patients with HbA1c levels of less than 7% increased from 6.4% before switching to 10.3% after switching to Gla-U300. The percentage of patients achieving the predefined individualized HbA1c goal increased from 8.6% before switching to 17.3% after switching to Gla-U300. The mean daily insulin dose decreased from a baseline level of 32.2 (± 14.7) to 31.0 (± 15) U (P = .09). About 36.1 of the patients required adjustment to the initial dose. Gla-300 was well tolerated; 4.5% of the patients experienced overall confirmed or symptomatic hypoglycaemia, compared with 15.3% before switching to Gla-U300. The incidence of severe hypoglycaemia after switching was 0.6% (n = 4 patients), compared with 1% before switching.

CONCLUSIONS

Real-world evidence supports the effectiveness of switching to Gla-U300 from first-generation basal insulin in T2D in Saudi Arabia.

Factors Affecting Performance of Insulin Pen Injector Technology: A Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

Insulin treatment is an essential hormone replacement therapy for the survival of people with type 1 diabetes and is often used for treatment in type 2 diabetes, particularly as the disease progresses. Advances in insulin therapy have been made since its discovery, including production of human insulin and development of insulin analogs with improved efficacy and safety profiles. The different types of available insulin formulations allow health care professionals to personalize treatment to an individual's needs. Generally, insulin requires parenteral administration via subcutaneous injection owing to very low oral bioavailability.

METHODS

This article reviews the human, technological, economical, and regulatory factors affecting the performance of insulin pens and the relationship between them. Opportunities and challenges that insulin pen injections may encounter in the future are also considered.

RESULTS

Insulin delivery devices, together with other factors, influence dose accuracy, convenience, and quality of life, contributing to easier medication administration with high efficacy and safety. For patients, ease of use, fast and accurate drug delivery, and painless injection are the most valuable features of an insulin injection device. For manufacturers, technological feasibility and economic viability also need to be considered when developing injection devices.

CONCLUSION

Insulin pen injectors are generally preferred over vial and syringe, although access may be limited in some health care systems. Insulin pen injectors can adapt to different insulin regimens and formulations and have the potential to acquire dosing data in real time.

[Diagnosis and insulin therapy of type 1 diabetes mellitus (Update 2023)]

This guideline summarizes diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, including accompanying autoimmune disorders, insulin therapy regimens and glycemic target values.

[Injection therapy of diabetes]

The present article is a recommendation of the Austrian Diabetes Association for the practical use of injection therapy (GLP1-receptor agonists and insulin) in type 2 diabetes.

Rate of Inpatient Hypoglycemia Following a 1:1 Dose Interchange Between Concentrated Insulin Glargine to Insulin Detemir

BACKGROUND

Insulin remains a mainstay of treating hyperglycemia in an acute setting. Insulin glargine 300 units/mL (Toujeo, iGlar300) has a different pharmacokinetic profile than 100 units/mL basal insulins, such as insulin detemir (iDet100) and iGlar100. While conversion from iGlar300 to iGlar100 requires a 20% dose decrease, there is currently no recommended interchange from iGlar300 to iDet100.

OBJECTIVE

Compare the incidence of hypoglycemia in patients who received a 1:1 unit interchange from home iGlar300 or iGlar100 to iDet100 while admitted.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate adults within a multi-site network admitted between May and December 2019. Patients were included if they received at least one dose of iDet100 following interchange from home iGlar300 or iGlar100. The primary endpoint was the incidence of hypoglycemic events following a 1:1 interchange of iGlar300 vs. iGlar100 to inpatient iDet100. Secondary outcomes include overall hypoglycemic events, time to hypoglycemia, and doses given before hypoglycemia.

RESULTS

Of 615 patients, 394 received a 1:1 unit interchange to iDet100 (52 from iGlar300 and 342 from iGlar100). Incidence of hypoglycemic events was significantly higher in those with a 1:1 interchange from iGlar300 versus iGlar100 (36.5% vs. 18.7%, p = 0.007). Significant differences were observed in overall hypoglycemic events, time to hypoglycemia, and number of doses given before hypoglycemic event.

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

A 1:1 unit interchange from iGlar300 to iDet100 led to a higher incidence of hypoglycemic events compared to those interchanged from iGlar100. Dose reduction should be considered when transitioning from home iGlar300 to iDet100 in the inpatient setting.

Severe insulin resistance syndromes

Severe insulin resistance syndromes are a heterogeneous group of rare disorders characterized by profound insulin resistance, substantial metabolic abnormalities, and a variety of clinical manifestations and complications. The etiology of these syndromes may be hereditary or acquired, due to defects in insulin potency and action, cellular responsiveness to insulin, and/or aberrations in adipose tissue function or development. Over the past decades, advances in medical technology, particularly in genomic technologies and genetic analyses, have provided insights into the underlying pathophysiological pathways and facilitated the more precise identification of several of these conditions. However, the exact cellular and molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance have not yet been fully elucidated for all syndromes. Moreover, in clinical practice, many of the syndromes are often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. The majority of these disorders associate with an increased risk of severe complications and mortality; thus, early identification and personalized clinical management are of the essence. This Review aims to categorize severe insulin resistance syndromes by disease process, including insulin receptor defects, signaling defects, and lipodystrophies. We also highlight several complex syndromes and emphasize the need to identify patients, investigate underlying disease mechanisms, and develop specific treatment regimens.

Glargine-300: An updated literature review on randomized controlled trials and real-world studies

Despite the availability of a variety of insulins, rates of insulinisation and the acceptance of insulin therapy is suboptimal in real-world clinical settings. Patient and physician concerns with hypoglycaemia and weight gain are the two key issues that serve to impede appropriate insulinisation in patients with diabetes. Recently introduced second-generation basal insulin analogues [for e.g., insulin glargine 300 U/mL (Gla-300) and insulin degludec] are designed to have improved pharmacokinetic profiles with an intention to deliver steady insulin levels over a longer period. Several randomised controlled and real-world studies have proven the resultant advantages of second-generations insulin analogues in lowering intra-individual variability in plasma insulin levels, flexibility in dosing, a sustained glucose-lowering effect, and decreasing the risk of hypoglycaemia. Gla-300 is one of the newer second-generation basal insulin analogues to have been approved for both type 1 and 2 diabetes. In this article, we review the currently available clinical and real-world data of Gla-300.

Effect of Different Insulin Therapies on Obstetric-Fetal Outcomes

To evaluate the effectiveness of the different insulin therapies on obstetrics-fetal outcomes in women with pregestational diabetes mellitus. We enrolled 147 pregnant women with pre-existing type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus. Clinical and biochemical parameters were analysed in relation to obstetric and fetal outcomes. 14.2% received treatment with Neutral Protamine Hagedorn insulin and short-acting insulin analogues; 19% with premixed human insulin; 40.1% with insulin glargine and lispro, 6.2% with detemir and aspart and 20% with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. All 5 types of treatment achieved a reduction of the mean HbA1c during pregnancy (p = 0.01). Pre-pregnancy care was carried out for 48% of patients. We found no statistically significant differences between the different insulin therapies and the obstetric-fetal outcomes. In conclusión, the different insulin therapies used in patients with pregestational diabetes mellitus does not seem to affect obstetric-fetal outcomes.

[Insulin therapy of type 2 diabetes mellitus (Update 2019)]

The present article is a recommendation of the Austrian Diabetes Association for the practical use of insulin in type 2 diabetes, including the various insulin regimens.

Basal insulin therapy: Unmet medical needs in Asia and the new insulin glargine in diabetes treatment

Diabetes remains a global epidemic and a tremendous health challenge, especially in the Asian population. Dramatic increases in the prevalence of diabetes across different countries or areas in Asia have been reported in recent epidemiological studies. Although clinical guidelines have strengthened appropriate antihyperglycemic medications and lifestyle modifications for optimal diabetes management, inadequate glycemic control still occurs in many patients with an increased risk of developing microvascular and macrovascular complications. Insulin administration is the main therapy for diabetes in response to the inability to secrete insulin, and is recommended in current guidelines to treat patients with type 2 diabetes after failure of oral antidiabetic drugs. Clinical studies have shown that long-acting insulin analogs improve basal glycemic control with reduced risk of hypoglycemia. In the present review, we discuss previous challenges with basal insulin therapy in Asia, the pharmacological development of insulin analogs to overcome the unmet medical needs and recent clinical studies of the new ultra-long-acting insulin analog, insulin glargine U300. Furthermore, relevant findings of current real-world evidence are also included for the comparison of the efficacy and safety of different insulin formulations. Based on the accumulating evidence showing a low incidence of hypoglycemia and technical benefits of dose titration, treatment with glargine U300 can be a promising strategy for Asian diabetes patients to achieve glycemic targets with favorable safety.

Insulin Initiation and Titration in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Insulin initiation and titration can be challenging for many primary care providers who are involved in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. Despite the introduction of advanced insulin analogs and improvements in insulin delivery devices, many patients with type 2 diabetes continue to experience suboptimal glycemic control. With an increasing number of treatment options available, type 2 diabetes management is moving away from a "one-size-fits-all" approach and toward individualized treatment regimens based on particular patient needs. Given this, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and certified diabetes educators are becoming increasingly valuable resources in busy primary care practices.

[Diagnosis and insulin therapy of type 1 diabetes mellitus (Update 2019)]

This guideline summarizes diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, including accompanying autoimmune disorders, insulin therapy regimens and glycemic target values.

Ultra-long-acting insulins: A review of efficacy, safety, and implications for practice

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In the past decade, there has been much advancement in oral antidiabetic agents, but few changes in insulin therapy. With the addition of the ultra-long-acting insulins, insulin glargine U300 (IGlar 300) and insulin degludec (IDeg 100 and IDeg 200), it is important to understand key aspects in the agents' clinical properties, efficacy, safety, dosing, packaging, and place in therapy.

METHODS

A literature review was conducted using PubMed database and was limited to English, full-text articles published from January 2000 to January 2018. The following search terms were used: insulin glargine 300, insulin degludec, Toujeo, Tresiba, and ultra-long-acting insulin.

CONCLUSIONS

These agents are longer acting with sustained insulin coverage as compared with other basal insulins while having a low potential for hypoglycemia. Efficacy and safety profiles are quite good, and potential for weight gain was similar to IGlar 100.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Depending on the patient's needs, these newer agents may offer some advantages. Insulin glargine U300 and IDeg 200 are concentrated, allowing for administration of large doses by less volume, thereby theoretically improving absorption. For patients needing flexible dosing, IDeg may be beneficial. The ultra-long-acting agents may also be useful if it is suspected that the basal insulin is not lasting the entire day.

Nocturnal Glycemic Control with New Insulin Glargine 300 U/mL

Insulin glargine 300 U/mL (Gla-300) is a new generation basal insulin product that has been demonstrated to have more stable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics than insulin glargine 100 U/mL (Gla-100). To evaluate the real-world benefits of Gla-300 in reducing nocturnal fluctuations in blood glucose levels and nocturnal hypoglycemia, 10 Taiwanese patients using Gla-100 for insulin therapy were switched to Gla-300 and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was applied at nighttime to monitor changes to nocturnal glycemic variability parameters. Glycemic variability parameters measured to assess between- and within-night glycemic variability included mean 6-hour nocturnal (00:00-6:00 AM) glucose levels, standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variance (CV) of mean nocturnal glucose levels and mean glucose excursion (MAGE). In this study, Gla-300 demonstrated comparable glycemic efficacy to Gla-100 and the potential to further reduce nocturnal hypoglycemia risk. Overall, nocturnal glycemic variability parameters measured during the Gla-300 treatment period were numerically smaller than those measured during the Gla-100 treatment phase although statistical significance was not reached. In terms of within-night glucose management, SD and CV values of mean nocturnal glucose levels were found to be statistically lower during the Gla-300 treatment phase than the Gla-100 treatment phase on nights individuals displayed normal blood glucose level readings at the beginning of the night. In summary, this study represents the first of its kind from Taiwan to evaluate the real-world clinical benefits of switching Taiwanese diabetes patients from Gla-100 to Gla-300 insulin therapy in reducing nighttime glucose variability by means of CGM.

Conversion from insulin glargine U-100 to insulin glargine U-300 or insulin degludec and the impact on dosage requirements

BACKGROUND

We wanted to determine whether basal insulin requirements change when patients transition from insulin glargine U-100 (Gla-100) to insulin glargine U-300 (Gla-300) or insulin degludec.

METHODS

This study involved subjects seen in the University of Colorado Health Endocrine Clinic who were transitioned from Gla-100 to either Gla-300 (n = 95) or insulin degludec (n = 39). The primary outcome was the difference between baseline Gla-100 dose and dose of Gla-300 or insulin degludec prescribed after first follow-up visit within 1-12 months. Secondary outcomes included changes in glycemic control and empiric dose conversion from Gla-100 to Gla-300 or insulin degludec on the day of transition. Wilcoxon rank sum tests evaluated changes in insulin doses, and paired t tests assessed changes in glycemic control using GraphPad statistical software.

RESULTS

Median daily basal insulin dose increased for individuals transitioned from Gla-100 to Gla-300 from 30 [19-60 interquartile range (IQR)] units at baseline to 34.5 (19-70 IQR) units after follow up (p = 0.01). For patients transitioned to insulin degludec, dose changes from baseline to follow up were not significantly different (p = 0.56). At the time of transition, the prescribed dose of Gla-300 or insulin degludec did not significantly differ from the previous dose of Gla-100 (p = 0.73 and 0.28, respectively), indicating that empiric dose adjustments were not routinely prescribed.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who transitioned from Gla-100 to Gla-300 had increased basal insulin requirements between visits, while basal insulin requirements for those transitioned from Gla-100 to insulin degludec were not significantly different.

Factors Affecting the Absorption of Subcutaneously Administered Insulin: Effect on Variability

Variability in the effect of subcutaneously administered insulin represents a major challenge in insulin therapy where precise dosing is required in order to achieve targeted glucose levels. Since this variability is largely influenced by the absorption of insulin, a deeper understanding of the factors affecting the absorption of insulin from the subcutaneous tissue is necessary in order to improve glycaemic control and the long-term prognosis in people with diabetes. These factors can be related to either the insulin preparation, the injection site/patient, or the injection technique. This review highlights the factors affecting insulin absorption with special attention on the physiological factors at the injection site. In addition, it also provides a detailed description of the insulin absorption process and the various modifications to this process that have been utilized by the different insulin preparations available.

Hypoglycemia Reduction Strategies in the ICU

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We reviewed the strategies associated with hypoglycemia risk reduction among critically ill non-pregnant adult patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Hypoglycemia in the ICU has been associated with increased mortality in a number of studies. Insulin dosing and glucose monitoring rules, response to impending hypoglycemia, use of computerization, and attention to modifiable factors extrinsic to insulin algorithms may affect the risk for hypoglycemia. Recurring use of intravenous (IV) bolus doses of insulin in insulin-resistant cases may reduce reliance upon higher IV infusion rates. In order to reduce the risk for hypoglycemia in the ICU, caregivers should define responses to interruption of continuous carbohydrate exposure, incorporate transitioning strategies upon initiation and interruption of IV insulin, define modifications of antihyperglycemic therapy in the presence of worsening renal function or chronic kidney disease, and anticipate the effects traceable to other medications and substances. Institutional and system-wide quality improvement efforts should assign priority to hypoglycemia prevention.

Novel Concentrated Insulin Delivery Devices: Developments for Safe and Simple Dose Conversions

To aid the burden of large dosing volumes, concentrated insulin products have been available in some form since the 1950s, albeit requiring significant and cumbersome detail in prescribing, converting doses from other products, and educating patients on how to administer. In 2015 and 2016, new concentrated products have been introduced that are available exclusively in pen devices that perform the conversion automatically, and thus, help to bypass the necessity for confusing calculations or administration. Providers and patients accustomed to traditional methods must recognize the differences and utility of these products to avoid dosing errors, as there are major differences in dosing procedures as well as their role in clinical practice. For example, the novel concentrated insulins (aside from U-500 products) are not solely indicated for severe insulin resistance. Use of novel agents may decrease the number of injections required, decrease complexity for patients and providers, reduce errors, and avoid conversion calculations. It is imperative that clinicians appreciate the nuances among the agents to choose an insulin product that is appropriate and fits a patient's needs and preferences.

Translating U-500R Randomized Clinical Trial Evidence to the Practice Setting: A Diabetes Educator/Expert Prescriber Team Approach

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide recommendations to the diabetes educator/expert prescriber team for the use of human regular U-500 insulin (U-500R) in patients with severely insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes, including its initiation and titration, by utilizing dosing charts and teaching materials translated from a recent U-500R clinical trial.

Conclusions

Clinically relevant recommendations and teaching materials for the optimal use and management of U-500R in clinical practice are provided based on the efficacy and safety results of and lessons learned from the U-500R clinical trial by Hood et al, current standards of practice, and the authors’ clinical expertise. This trial was the first robustly powered, randomized, titration-to-target trial to compare twice-daily and three-times-daily U-500R dosing regimens. Modifications were made to the initiation and titration dosing algorithms used in this trial to simplify dosing strategies for the clinical setting and align with current glycemic targets recommended by the American Diabetes Association. Leveraging the expertise, resources, and patient interactions of the diabetes educator who can provide diabetes self-management education and support in collaboration with the multidisciplinary diabetes team is strongly recommended to ensure patients treated with U-500R receive the timely and comprehensive care required to safely and effectively use this highly concentrated insulin.

Microfabrication for Drug Delivery

This review is devoted to discussing the application of microfabrication technologies to target challenges encountered in life processes by the development of drug delivery systems. Recently, microfabrication has been largely applied to solve health and pharmaceutical science issues. In particular, fabrication methods along with compatible materials have been successfully designed to produce multifunctional, highly effective drug delivery systems. Microfabrication offers unique tools that can tackle problems in this field, such as ease of mass production with high quality control and low cost, complexity of architecture design and a broad range of materials. Presented is an overview of silicon- and polymer-based fabrication methods that are key in the production of microfabricated drug delivery systems. Moreover, the efforts focused on studying the biocompatibility of materials used in microfabrication are analyzed. Finally, this review discusses representative ways microfabrication has been employed to develop systems delivering drugs through the transdermal and oral route, and to improve drug eluting implants. Additionally, microfabricated vaccine delivery systems are presented due to the great impact they can have in obtaining a cold chain-free vaccine, with long-term stability. Microfabrication will continue to offer new, alternative solutions for the development of smart, advanced drug delivery systems.