From the Research
The half-life of insulin glargine (Lantus) is approximately 12.1 hours, as reported in the most recent and highest quality study 1. This is in contrast to its duration of action, which is around 24 hours, allowing for once-daily dosing. The extended duration of action occurs because insulin glargine has been modified to form microprecipitates at the injection site, which slowly dissolve and release insulin into the bloodstream at a relatively constant rate. Some key points about insulin glargine include:
- It is a long-acting basal insulin analog, given once daily as a basal source of insulin in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus 2.
- It has a slower onset of action than NPH insulin and a longer duration of action with no peak activity 2.
- Once-daily administration of insulin glargine has comparable efficacy to that of NPH insulin administered once or twice daily in basal-bolus regimens when used in combination with intermittent doses of regular insulin or insulin lispro in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and in conjunction with oral antidiabetic agents in patients with type 2 diabetes 2.
- Insulin glargine has an incidence of hypoglycemia comparable to or less than that of NPH insulin, with a reduced incidence of nocturnal hypoglycemia compared with NPH insulin seen in some studies 3, 4. However, the most recent study comparing insulin degludec and insulin glargine found that insulin glargine has a half-life of 12.1 hours, which is shorter than previously reported 1. This study also found that insulin degludec has a longer half-life than insulin glargine, with a half-life of 25.4 hours 1. Overall, insulin glargine is an effective once-daily basal insulin for patients with diabetes, with a relatively flat concentration profile and minimal risk of hypoglycemia.