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Start patients on Levemir® to see effective results

Whether currently on basal insulin or insulin-naive, patients with diabetes can benefit from Levemir®. Levemir® has been shown to provide reductions in A1C for insulin-naive patients.1 Patients with type 2 diabetes switching to Levemir® from insulin glargine had a low rate of hypoglycemia.2 In patients with type 2 diabetes who were taking Levemir®, real-world weight benefits have been observed.2 In addition, Levemir® has a low affinity for the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) relative to human insulin. In a meta-analysis, treatment with Levemir® was associated with no increased incidence of cancer diagnosis compared with NPH insulin.3

A meta-analysis is a systematic method that uses statistical techniques for combining results from different studies to obtain a quantitative estimate of the overall effect of a particular intervention or variable on a defined outcome. These results were not a predefined endpoint of the individual trials. Additional long-term studies are required prior to reaching any conclusions on these data.

Meta-analyses may produce a stronger conclusion than can be provided by any individual study. Caution should be applied when reviewing results.

References:

  1. Blonde L, Merilainen M, Karwe V, Raskin P; TITRATE Study Group. Patient-directed titration for achieving glycaemic goals using a once-daily basal insulin analogue: an assessment of two different fasting plasma glucose targets—the TITRATE™ study. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2009;11:623-631.
  2. Meneghini LF, Rosenberg KH, Koenen C, Merilainen MJ, Lüddeke H-J. Insulin detemir improves glycaemic control with less hypoglycaemia and no weight gain in patients with type 2 diabetes who were insulin naïve or treated with NPH or insulin glargine: clinical practice experience from a German subgroup of the PREDICTIVE study. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2007;9(3):418-427.
  3. Dejgaard A, Lynggaard H, Råstam J, Krogsgaard Thomsen M. No evidence of increased risk of malignancies in patients with diabetes treated with insulin detemir: a meta-analysis. Diabetologia. 2009;52(12):2507-2512.

  1. Levemir® (insulin detemir [rDNA origin] injection) Indications and Usage

    Levemir® is indicated for once- or twice-daily subcutaneous administration for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus or adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who require basal (long-acting) insulin for the control of hyperglycemia.

    Levemir® Important Safety Information

    Levemir® is contraindicated in patients hypersensitive to insulin detemir or one of its excipients.

    Levemir® should not be diluted or mixed with any other insulin preparations.

    Hypoglycemia is the most common adverse effect of all insulin therapies, including Levemir®. As with other insulins, the timing of hypoglycemic events may differ among various insulin preparations. Glucose monitoring is recommended for all patients with diabetes. Levemir® is not to be used in insulin infusion pumps. Any change of insulin dose should be made cautiously and only under medical supervision. Concomitant oral antidiabetes treatment may require adjustment.

    Needles and Levemir® FlexPen® must not be shared.

    Inadequate dosing or discontinuation of treatment may lead to hyperglycemia and, in patients with type 1 diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis. Insulin may cause sodium retention and edema, particularly if previously poor metabolic control is improved by intensified insulin therapy. Dose and timing of administration may need to be adjusted to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia in patients being switched to Levemir® from other intermediate or long-acting insulin preparations. The dose of Levemir® may need to be adjusted in patients with renal or hepatic impairment.

    Other adverse events commonly associated with insulin therapy may include injection site reactions (on average, 3% to 4% of patients in clinical trials) such as lipodystrophy, redness, pain, itching, hives, swelling, and inflammation. Less common but more serious are severe cases of generalized allergy, including anaphylactic reaction, which may be life threatening.

    *Whether these observed differences represent true differences in the effects of Levemir®, NPH insulin, and insulin glargine is not known since these trials were not blinded and the protocols (e.g., diet and exercise instructions and monitoring) were not specifically directed at exploring hypotheses related to weight effects of the treatments compared. The clinical significance of the observed differences in weight has not been established.

    Please see Prescribing InformationPrescribing Information.

FlexPen® and Levemir® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. NovoMedLink™ is a trademark of Novo Nordisk A/S.