Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim have announced the UK launch of Abasaglar®, a new biosimilar insulin glargine.
Abasaglar is a once-daily injectable injection licensed to treat diabetes in adults, adolescents and children aged 2 years and above. It is designed to be taken once per day, at the same time each day, to lower blood glucose levels. It is not indicated to treat diabetic ketoacidosis.
The agent is available in cartridges for use in Lilly’s HumaPen Savvio and in the latest KwikPen device. Each cartridge/KwikPen contains 300 units of the insulin in 3 mL of solution. From September, it will be available for prescription, at a cost of £35.28 for five cartridges or KwikPens.
Abasaglar was approved by the European Medicines Agency in September 2014 following evidence from phase III studies that showed a similar efficacy and safety profile to Sanofi’s Lantus®.
Commenting on the launch, Jeremy Morgan, International Vice President of Lilly Diabetes, said: “While basal insulin has been a mainstay of diabetes treatment for many years, there are still challenges for patients when it comes to embracing and beginning insulin treatment as part of their daily routine. We provide distinctive resources and tools to help support patients throughout their insulin initiation. This, added to our wealth of experience in diabetes allows us to offer Lilly medicines to a broad spectrum of people with diabetes at most stages of their treatment journey.”
More information on Abasaglar can be found on the Lilly website here.
The Summary of Product Characteristics can be found here.
