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 FDA-approved Levemir® (insulin detemir) is a new long-acting insulin analog* now available in the U.S. Levemir® is approved for use by adults and children with Type 1 diabetes, and by adults with Type 2 diabetes who require long-acting (basal) insulin to control hyperglycemia.
Levemir® is administered subcutaneously in the thigh, abdominal wall or upper arm, and can be effective for up to 24 hours.
Like insulin glargine (trade name Lantus), a long-lasting insulin introduced in 2001, Levemir® is designed to have a relatively steady level of activity, which means it doesn’t “peak” the way other insulins do. In layman’s terms, that means that glucose levels between meals are lower and more predictable, and the risk of hypoglycemia during nighttime sleep is reduced. In controlled clinical studies, 70 percent of patients achieved target A1C levels of less than 7 percent, a significant achievement, and fewer cases of minor and major hypoglycemia were observed.
And, in a significant departure from other insulin therapies, weight loss is possible while using Levemir®. In fact, Levemir® was the first insulin to demonstrate consistently less weight gain in 12 out of 12 controlled clinical trials involving more than 6,000 patients. The average weight gain was almost three times LESS than that of patients taking NPH insulin in a 24-week clinical trial of patients with Type 2 diabetes taking oral agents.
Because different people will absorb Levemir® at different rates, dosage frequency can be once or twice daily; frequency will be determined by your doctor. Generally speaking, however, if you use Levemir® once a day, it will be with the evening meal or at bedtime, and if you use it twice a day, it will be in the morning and 12 hours later. (The second dose may also be administered with the evening meal or at bedtime.) Additionally, Levemir® can be used with oral diabetes medications, or with rapid-acting insulins. Again, your doctor will help you determine the best way to use Levemir.®
Levemir® should not be diluted or mixed with any other insulin, and should not be used if the patient is hypersensitive to insulin detemir or any of its excipients. Levemir® should NOT be used with insulin infusion pumps.
Levemir®, manufactured by Novo Nordisk Inc., is available in vials and in a Levemir® FlexPen, a pre-filled insulin pen which offers easy dosing, and which can be used for up to 42 days without refrigeration. When the pen is empty, simply discard it and begin using a new one.
Levemir® is covered by most insurance plans. It is available now at Focus Express Mail Pharmacy. Click here to see how you can get Levemir Insulin for little or no cost. For more information, please call Focus, toll-free, 1-866-403-6287.
* Levemir® is designated an insulin analog because it is made by recombinant DNA technology (rDNA) and is chemically different from the insulin made by the human body.
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