Monthly Volume Calculation for Toujeo 80 Units Daily
For a patient taking 80 units of Toujeo (insulin glargine U-300) daily, approximately 8 mL per month is required.
Volume Calculation
- Toujeo is a concentrated formulation containing 300 units per mL (U-300), compared to standard insulin glargine which contains 100 units per mL 1
- At 80 units daily: 80 units ÷ 300 units/mL = 0.267 mL per day
- Monthly volume: 0.267 mL/day × 30 days = approximately 8 mL per month
Practical Dispensing Considerations
- Toujeo is typically available in 1.5 mL prefilled pens (SoloStar) or 3 mL pens (Max SoloStar), containing 450 units and 900 units respectively 1
- For 80 units daily (2,400 units/month), the patient would require:
- Approximately 3 SoloStar pens (1.5 mL each) per month, or
- Approximately 3 Max SoloStar pens (3 mL each) per month
Important Clinical Context for This Dose
This 80-unit daily dose warrants clinical review. When basal insulin exceeds 0.5 units/kg/day and approaches 1.0 units/kg/day, adding prandial insulin or GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy is more appropriate than continuing to escalate basal insulin alone 1, 2. Clinical signals suggesting overbasalization include basal doses >0.5 units/kg, high bedtime-to-morning glucose differential (≥50 mg/dL), hypoglycemia, and high glucose variability 1.
U-300 vs U-100 Dosing Caveat
- U-300 glargine (Toujeo) requires approximately 10-18% higher daily doses compared to U-100 glargine (Lantus) to achieve equivalent glycemic control 1
- The concentrated formulation allows higher doses per volume but has modestly lower efficacy per unit 1
- Patients should not be switched between U-100 and U-300 formulations on a unit-per-unit basis without dose adjustment and close monitoring 1