The role of insulin glulisine to improve glycemic control in children with diabetes mellitus

Anna Lih, Emily Hibbert, Tang Wong, Christian M Girgis, Nidhi Garg, John N Carter
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Concord Hospital, NSW, Australia; University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia

Abstract: Glulisine (Apidra^®) is a rapid-acting human insulin analog approved for use in children with diabetes mellitus ≥4 years of age. Management of children with type 1 diabetes has seen a shift in favor of mimicking normal physiological insulin responses with multiple daily injections or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusions (CSII). Few studies have compared the rapid-acting insulin analogs in this population but limited data indicate that glulisine is as effective as lispro when used in a basal–bolus regimen. This review appraises the current available studies and reviews on insulin glulisine in children. An extensive keyword search of ‘insulin glulisine’, ‘insulin analogs’, and ‘Apidra’ in the pediatric population was performed. These studies have suggested that glulisine is safe, well tolerated, and is an effective option in the diabetes armamentarium. Further studies are needed to determine its safety for use in CSII pumps in the pediatric population.

Keywords: glulisine, pediatrics, type 1 diabetes mellitus