Insulin Lispro (Humalog)

Abstract

Initially discovered in 1921, insulin was fIrst made commercially available in 1923. Up until the early 1980s, all insulin preparations used medically were obtained by direct extraction from the pancreatic tissue of animals. In 1982, Hmnulin ® (recombinant hmnan insulin) became the fust recombinant therapeutic product to gain marketing approval. By the mid-1980s, efforts to develop insulin analogues displaying improved therapeutic properties were well underway. Insulin LISPRO (Hmnalog(R)) is such an analogue which has gained regulatory approval for general medical use. It is identical to hmnan insulin except that the Pro-Lys amino acid sequence at positions B28 and B29 of the native molecule are reversed. Insulin lispro has a more rapid onset of activity and a shorter duration of action when compared to regular hmnan insulin while maintaining equal glucose lowering ability. Insulin lispro provides better postprandial glucose control at a more convenient time relative to consmnption of a meal.