New Insulin Lispro Injection Can Help People Looking for Lower-Priced Options at US Pharmacies

This article was provided and sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly is providing solutions for people who need help affording their insulin, including the recently launched Insulin Lispro Injection 100 units/mL (U-100). This option is the same insulin as Humalog® 100 units/mL (U-100) (insulin lispro injection) with a 50 percent lower list price and is available nationwide.

Some people living with diabetes and other chronic conditions are struggling to afford their medicine because the current healthcare system doesn’t work for everyone. While most insurance plans provide affordable copays that are much lower than list price, some people are exposed to the full list price of insulin due to their insurance design or because they are uninsured.

Because they are the same insulin, pharmacists can substitute Insulin Lispro Injection for Humalog if it lowers out-of-pocket costs for a patient. Depending on a person’s insurance plan design, Insulin Lispro Injection may not always be the more affordable option. In fact, about 95 percent of people pay less than $95 per month for Humalog and 43 percent pay $0 at the retail pharmacy. Pharmacists can help determine which insulin option will provide the lowest out-of-pocket cost for customers.

Pharmacists who receive questions about Insulin Lispro Injection can take the following steps:

• Check the patient’s insurance coverage to see if substituting Insulin Lispro Injection for Humalog provides a lower out-of-pocket cost.
• If Insulin Lispro Injection is not stocked at your pharmacy, contact normal wholesaler channels (estimated arrival is 1-2 days following placement of the order).
• Refer people with additional questions to the Lilly Diabetes Solution Center. They can call (833) 808-1234 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Live representatives can provide personalized solutions that may help significantly decrease the amount people pay for insulin at the pharmacy. Savings and eligibility will vary based upon the individual circumstances of each person who calls the helpline.

Launching Insulin Lispro Injection is the latest step Lilly has taken to help people who don’t benefit from the substantial rebates paid on insulins. The hope is that Lilly’s solutions, like Insulin Lispro Injection and resources available through the Lilly Diabetes Solution Center, will help reduce the financial burden people with diabetes face until long-term, systemic changes are made to the U.S. healthcare system.

Indication for Humalog® (insulin lispro) and Insulin Lispro Injection

Humalog and Insulin Lispro Injection are used to treat people with diabetes for the control of high blood sugar.

Important Safety Information for Humalog® (insulin lispro) and Important Safety Information for Insulin Lispro Injection

What is the most important information I should know about Humalog and Insulin Lispro Injection?

• Do not share your Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection KwikPen® or syringe with other people, even if the needle has been changed. You may give other people a serious infection or get a serious infection from them.
• Do not change the insulin you use without talking to your healthcare provider. Changes may make you more likely to experience low or high blood sugar. Changes should be made cautiously under the supervision of your healthcare provider.
• Test your blood sugar levels as your healthcare provider instructs.
• Your insulin dose may need to change because of illness, stress, other medicines you take, change in diet, or change in physical activity or exercise.
• When used in a pump, do not mix or dilute Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection with any other insulin or liquid.

Who should not take Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection?

• Do not take Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection if your blood sugar is too low (hypoglycemia) or if you are allergic to Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection or any of the ingredients in Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection.
• Before using Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection, what should I tell my healthcare providers?
• About all of your medical conditions, including liver, kidney, or heart failure or other heart problems.
• If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
• About all the medicines you take, including prescription (especially ones commonly called TZDs [thiazolidinediones]) and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

How should I use Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection?

• Humalog and Insulin Lispro Injection are rapid-acting insulins. Take Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection within fifteen minutes before eating or right after eating a meal.
• Always make sure you receive the correct type of Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection from the pharmacy.
• Do not use Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection if it is cloudy, colored, or has solid particles or clumps in it.
• Inject Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection under your skin (subcutaneously). Never inject into a vein or muscle. Change (rotate) your injection site with each dose. Make sure you inject the correct insulin and dose.
• Do not re-use needles. Always use a new needle for each injection. Re-use of needles can cause you to receive the wrong dose of Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection and result in infection.
• Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection affects you. Do not use alcohol while using Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection.

What are the possible side effects of Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection?

• Severe low blood sugar can cause unconsciousness (passing out), seizures, and death. Low blood sugar is the most common side effect. There are many causes of low blood sugar, including taking too much Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection. It is important to treat it quickly. You can treat mild to moderate low blood sugar by drinking or eating a quick source of sugar right away. Symptoms may be different for each person. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about low blood sugar symptoms and treatment.
• Severe life-threatening allergic reactions (whole-body reactions) can happen. Get medical help right away if you develop a rash over your whole body, have trouble breathing, have a fast heartbeat, or are sweating.
• Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection can cause life-threatening low potassium in your blood (hypokalemia), which can cause severe breathing problems, irregular heartbeat, and death.
• Serious side effects can include swelling of your hands and feet and heart failure when taking certain pills called thiazolidinediones or "TZDs" with Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection. This may occur in some people even if they have not had heart problems before. Tell your healthcare provider if you have shortness of breath, swelling of your ankles or feet, or sudden weight gain, which may be symptoms of heart failure. Your healthcare provider may need to adjust or stop your treatment with TZDs or Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection.
• Failure of your insulin pump or infusion set or degradation of the insulin in the pump can cause hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis. Always carry an alternate form of insulin administration in case of pump failure.
• The most common side effects of Humalog or Insulin Lispro Injection include low blood sugar, allergic reactions, including reactions at your injection site, skin thickening or pits at the injection site (lipodystrophy), itching, and rash. These are not all of the possible side effects. Ask your healthcare provider for more information or for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Humalog and Insulin Lispro Injection are available by prescription only.

For additional information, talk to your healthcare providers and please click to access Humalog Full Prescribing Information and Patient Prescribing Information.For additional information, talk to your healthcare providers and click to access Insulin Lispro Injection Full Prescribing Information and Patient Prescribing Information.

Please see Instructions for Use included with Humalog and Insulin Lispro Injection products.

Humalog® and KwikPen® are registered trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates.

HI IL CON ISI 04MAR2019

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PP-SP-US-0084 07/2019 © Lilly USA, LLC 2019. All rights reserved.