Peptide reference
Insulin
Human insulin ·Insulin lispro ·Insulin aspart ·Insulin glargine ·Insulin detemir ·Insulin degludec ·Humalog ·NovoLog ·Lantus ·Levemir ·Tresiba ·Humulin ·Novolin
What cited sources report about insulin
Insulin is the foundational peptide hormone therapy for diabetes mellitus, originally isolated by Banting, Best, Macleod, and Collip at the University of Toronto in 1921 and first administered to a human patient (Leonard Thompson) in January 1922. Native human insulin is a 51-residue two-chain peptide produced by enzymatic processing of proinsulin in pancreatic beta cells. The current U.S. market includes recombinant human insulin (regular and NPH) and a portfolio of engineered analogs grouped by onset and duration of action: rapid-acting (lispro, aspart, glulisine, faster aspart, ultra-rapid lispro), short-acting (regular human insulin), intermediate-acting (NPH), long-acting (glargine, detemir), and ultra-long-acting (degludec, glargine U-300, weekly icodec). All marketed insulins are FDA-approved and approved in the major international jurisdictions; insulin has not been nominated to the FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee. The summaries below report what individual cited sources state.
FDA Drug Label — Humalog (revised January 9, 2026)
The DailyMed structured product label for Humalog (Eli Lilly) covers insulin lispro, the first rapid-acting analog insulin approved by the FDA (1996). The lispro modification reverses the natural sequence of proline-B28 and lysine-B29, which disrupts hexamer formation and accelerates absorption from the subcutaneous depot. The label indicates Humalog to improve glycemic control in adult and pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus and describes peripheral glucose uptake, suppression of hepatic glucose production, and inhibition of lipolysis and proteolysis as the underlying actions.
HUMALOG is a rapid acting human insulin analog indicated to improve glycemic control in adult and pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus.
FDA Drug Label — Lantus (revised June 2, 2025)
The DailyMed structured product label for Lantus (Sanofi) covers insulin glargine, a long-acting analog engineered with an A21 asparagine-to-glycine substitution and two additional arginine residues at the B-chain C-terminus. The peptide is soluble at the acidic formulation pH; after subcutaneous injection at physiological pH it forms microprecipitates that release insulin slowly over approximately 24 hours, supporting once-daily dosing.
LANTUS is indicated to improve glycemic control in adult and pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus.
Dhatariya et al. (2025) — British Journal of Anaesthesia
A 2025 narrative review surveyed the pharmacology of human insulin and engineered analogs and discussed perioperative management of patients with diabetes. The authors described the progression from animal-derived insulin (porcine, bovine) through recombinant human insulin (introduced 1982) to the current portfolio of analogs with engineered onset and duration of action. They noted the increasing routine use of hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery systems in patients with type 1 diabetes, particularly in the United Kingdom, and discussed implications for perioperative protocols.
PubChem CID 5311025 — National Center for Biotechnology Information
The PubChem compound record for human insulin describes the two-chain disulfide-linked peptide hormone. The molecule comprises a 21-residue A-chain and a 30-residue B-chain linked by two interchain disulfide bonds (A7-B7 and A20-B19) plus one intrachain disulfide bond (A6-A11), with an approximate molecular weight of 5808 Da.
Coverage notes
This page is an umbrella reference for the insulin therapeutic class. Each marketed analog (lispro, aspart, glulisine, glargine, detemir, degludec, icodec) and biosimilar carries its own DailyMed structured product label and pharmacokinetic profile. Two representative labels — Humalog (rapid-acting) and Lantus (long-acting) — are cited here. Biosimilar and follow-on insulin products entered the U.S. market under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act after the 2020 transition of insulin to biologic regulation. Inhaled insulin (Afrezza) and weekly basal insulin (icodec, approved 2024) sit at the edges of the class and warrant separate reference pages when prioritized.