The FINANCIAL — Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced on December 15 that BASAGLAR (insulin glargine injection 100 units/mL) is available by prescription in the U.S. BASAGLAR is a follow-on insulin to Lantus®. It is a long-acting insulin with an amino acid sequence identical to Lantus, another U-100 insulin glargine.
In December 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved BASAGLAR as a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with type 1 diabetes and adults with type 2 diabetes. BASAGLAR should not be used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. BASAGLAR should not be used during episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or in people with an allergy to insulin glargine or any of the ingredients in BASAGLAR, according to Eli Lilly and Company.
“Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim are proud to bring another proven effective diabetes treatment choice to people who may need a long-acting insulin to help control their blood sugar,” said David Kendall, M.D., vice president, Global Medical Affairs, Lilly Diabetes. “We know that starting insulin can be a challenging experience for some people with type 2 diabetes. As part of our continuing commitment to the diabetes community, we are expanding our educational resources.”
With resources designed to be simple, BASAGLAR goes beyond just insulin by offering helpful support for people beginning insulin. These bilingual resources include an app for smartphones and tablets to provide an interactive experience that helps patients relax and guides them through injection using their BASAGLAR KwikPen, injection demo kits (available through HCPs), and access to educational videos. Do NOT reuse needles or share insulin pens, even if the needle has been changed.
“In my practice, I regularly see people with type 2 diabetes who feel completely overwhelmed or nervous when they learn they need to begin insulin treatment,” said Eugene Wright, M.D., consulting associate, Medicine and Community and Family Medicine, Southern Regional AHEC. “These feelings are understandable because many people with type 2 diabetes face fear and anxiety about injections, a sense of failure about the progression of their condition, or concern over fitting insulin into daily life. For many who need insulin, I believe that reassurance and education are key, and I think they will appreciate the additional resources that help address some of these barriers as they begin treatment with BASAGLAR.”
BASAGLAR will be available by prescription from retail and mail order pharmacies across the U.S. As the top three pharmacy benefit managers have selected BASAGLAR for their formularies, it is expected to be widely covered by commercial insurance plans. In addition, Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim will offer a BASAGLAR savings card for eligible people.
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