LANTUS® Long-Acting Insulin: Dosing and Titration

DOSING LANTUS®

Experience LANTUS® long-acting (basal) insulin now:

Guidelines for effective once-daily dosing with LANTUS® to initiate in your insulin-naïve patients and to switch your NPH or premix insulin patients:

Initiating LANTUS®¹:

Insulin-naïve patients

• Add 10 units or 0.2 units/kg to OADs

Switch NPH once-daily patients to

• 1 unit: 1 unit

Switch NPH twice-daily patients to

• 80% of total daily NPH dose*

Switch premix patients to

• 80% of the intermediate-acting portion of premix*

LANTUS® should be used with OADs or rapid-acting insulin

*To reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.

Close monitoring under medical supervision is recommended during the transfer and initial weeks thereafter. Dose adjustments of LANTUS®, other insulins, or OADs may be required.

LANTUS® long-acting basal insulin can be administered any time of day. Use LANTUS® once a day at the same time every day¹

• No resuspension required—a clear solution¹
• Low variability in absorption and duration of action, regardless of the injection site^1,12
• After injection, LANTUS®, a basal insulin analog, is slowly released over 24 hours¹

TITRATING LANTUS®

Structured titration to target fasting blood glucose:

Below are two suggested options for titrating LANTUS® long-acting (basal) insulin doses to help patients reach target fasting blood glucose levels.^5,13

Increase dose by 1 unit every day; repeat and continue until FPG ≤ 100 mg/dL¹³

OR

Start with 10 units per day basal insulin dose and adjust weekly^‡13

• If mean of self-monitored FPG values from preceding 2 days = ≥180 mg/dL
  then
  Increase in insulin dose (units/d) = +8
• If mean of self-monitored FPG values from preceding 2 days = 140-179 mg/dL
  then
  Increase in insulin dose (units/d) = +6
• If mean of self-monitored FPG values from preceding 2 days = 120 - 139 mg/dL
  then
  Increase in insulin dose (units/d) = +4
• If mean of self-monitored FPG values from preceding 2 days = 100 – 119 mg/dL
  then
  Increase in insulin dose (units/d) = +2

^†Adjust insulin dose subsequently to patient's need.
^‡Dosage was not increased that week if there were any episodes of documented hypoglycemia (<72 mg/dL) during the preceding week.
From Riddle et al.⁵

Desired blood glucose levels and the dosage of LANTUS® should be individualized and determined based on the physician's advice in accordance with the needs of the patient.

Next: How LANTUS® Works