Metabolic & weight
Insulin (human insulin and analogs)
Also called regular human insulin, Humulin R, insulin lispro, Humalog, insulin glargine, Lantus, insulin icodec, Awiqli
Insulin is the hormone the pancreas makes to move sugar from the blood into the body's cells. As a drug, it is the main treatment for type 1 diabetes and is also used in many people with type 2 diabetes. Today's insulins include lab-made human insulin plus modified versions (analogs) that act faster or last longer.
Overview
Insulin is the hormone the pancreas makes to move sugar from the blood into the body's cells. As a drug, it is the main treatment for type 1 diabetes and is also used in many people with type 2 diabetes. Today's insulins include lab-made human insulin plus modified versions (analogs) that act faster or last longer.
How it works
Established: insulin binds the insulin receptor on muscle, fat and liver cells. This increases glucose uptake into muscle and fat, reduces glucose output by the liver, slows fat and protein breakdown, and promotes protein synthesis. Analogs differ mainly in how fast they are absorbed and how long they act (e.g., regular human insulin starts in about 30 minutes and lasts about 8 hours; glargine gives a fairly flat 24-hour profile; icodec is dosed once a week).
What research shows
- Approved for glycemic control in adults and children with diabetes (human insulin, analogs); long-acting glargine is approved for type 1 (adults and children) and type 2 (adults) diabetes (FDA labels).
- Insulin icodec approval rested on the ONWARDS phase 3a program of four randomized, active-controlled, treat-to-target trials; it was not approved for type 1 diabetes.
Doses studied in people
| Study or label | Dose used | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FDA labels (Humulin R, Humalog, Lantus) | Individualized — labels give no fixed dose; the prescriber sets and adjusts it by glucose monitoring, metabolic needs, route and treatment goals | 2 |
Insulin doses are individualized by a prescriber; there is no single standard dose.
Read this first: these are the amounts given to participants in published studies or written on official prescribing labels, reported for reference. They are not recommendations. Trial doses were chosen for specific patients under medical supervision, and a dose that is safe in one person can be harmful in another.
Safety
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is the most common adverse reaction and can be life-threatening (FDA labels).
- Medication errors (wrong insulin or concentration) can cause severe hypoglycemia (label).
- Hypokalemia (low potassium), hypersensitivity including anaphylaxis, injection-site reactions, lipodystrophy, weight gain and edema (label).
- Fluid retention and heart failure when combined with thiazolidinediones (label).
- Pens, needles and syringes must never be shared between patients (label).
- Contraindicated during an episode of hypoglycemia (label).
Report side effects of any drug or product to the FDA through MedWatch. For a possible poisoning in the US, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Legal status
- FDA
- FDA-approved: human insulin since 1982 (Humulin), lispro 1996, glargine 2000, once-weekly icodec (Awiqli) March 2026 for adult type 2 diabetes; many other brands and biosimilars exist
- Compounding
- Not checked against FDA 503A/503B bulk-substance lists in this pass; an FDA-approved product exists, so check current FDA compounding policy before citing
- Sports (WADA)
- Prohibited at all times — S4.4.2 Insulins and insulin-mimetics (2026 List)
- Other
- Prescription drug in the US
Rules change often. See Legal status of peptides for how these categories work.
History
Banting, Best, Macleod and Collip produced the first usable insulin extract in Toronto in 1921-22; 14-year-old Leonard Thompson received the first successful injection in January 1922. The human insulin amino acid sequence was reported in 1960 and the gene in 1980. Recombinant human insulin (Humulin) was first approved in the US in 1982, the first rapid analog (lispro, Humalog) in 1996, and long-acting glargine (Lantus) in 2000. In March 2026 the FDA approved insulin icodec (Awiqli), the first once-weekly basal insulin, for adults with type 2 diabetes, after a 2024 rejection over hypoglycemia concerns.
Common questions
Is insulin FDA-approved?
How is insulin dosed?
There is no fixed dose. The FDA labels say the prescriber sets and adjusts each person's dose based on glucose monitoring, needs and treatment goals 2.
What are the main risks of insulin?
Is insulin banned in sport?
Yes. Insulins are prohibited at all times under section S4.4.2 of WADA's 2026 Prohibited List 6.
How was the once-weekly insulin tested?
Can insulin pens be shared?
No. The label says pens, needles and syringes must never be shared between patients 2.
Related compounds
Glucagon
Glucagon Emergency Kit · GlucaGen
Glucagon is a pancreatic hormone that does the opposite of insulin: it tells the liver to release stored sugar.
Pramlintide
Symlin · SymlinPen
Pramlintide is a lab-made version of amylin, a hormone released with insulin after meals.
Exenatide
exendin-4 (synthetic) · Byetta
Exenatide was the first GLP-1 drug, a lab-made copy of a peptide found in Gila monster venom.
Sources
- The discovery of insulin revisited: lessons for the modern era (Lewis & Brubaker, J Clin Invest 2021) Journal
- HUMULIN R (insulin human) prescribing information FDA label
- HUMALOG (insulin lispro) prescribing information FDA label
- LANTUS (insulin glargine) prescribing information FDA label
- FDA approves once-weekly basal insulin for adults with type 2 diabetes (Healio) Regulatory
- WADA 2026 Prohibited List Regulatory
Last reviewed 2026-10-25 · How we research · Found an error? See our corrections policy.