Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim launch Lantus follow-on Basaglar

INDIANAPOLIS and RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — Eli Lilly and Co. and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals on Thursday announced the launch and availability of their Basaglar. The drug is a follow-on insulin to U-100 insulin glargine Lantus and is a long-acting insulin with an amino acid sequence identical to that of Lantus. 

 

The Food and Drug Administration approved Basaglar in December 2015 as a long-acting insulin to control high blood sugar in adults and children with Type 1 diabetes and adults with Type 2 diabetes. It is not indicated to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, nor should it be used during hypoglycemic episodes. 

 

“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,” Lilly Diabetes VP global medical affairs Dr. David Kendall said. “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.”

 

The companies will offer a Basaglar savings card for eligible patients, and it will provide bilingual resources, including a mobile app to provide patients an interactive experience to guide them through injection using the Basaglar KwikPen, injection demo kits and educational video access. 

 

Basaglar will be available by prescription from retail and mail-order pharmacies in the U.S., and the top three pharmacy benefit managers have selected it for their formularies, the companies said.