Lantus
Meaning of Lantus: A once-daily background insulin engineered to form a slow-release deposit under the skin instead of acting all at once.
Definition of Lantus
Lantus is a brand name for insulin glargine, a long-acting insulin used in diabetes. It is a modified form of human insulin made by recombinant technology, altered so that it stays dissolved in the acidic solution in the vial but forms tiny clumps once injected under the skin. Those clumps dissolve slowly, releasing insulin at a steady rate across roughly a day.
How does the slow release work?
Ordinary insulin injected under the skin is absorbed within hours. Glargine carries small changes to its amino acid chain that shift the acidity at which it stops dissolving. In the vial the liquid is acidic, so the insulin remains clear. Body fluid under the skin is close to neutral, and at that acidity the molecules clump into a microscopic deposit. The deposit then dissolves gradually, so absorption is spread out and the effect has no sharp peak.
How does it fit with other insulins?
| Insulin type | Purpose | Pattern of action |
|---|---|---|
| Long-acting (basal) | Background cover between meals and overnight | Flat, roughly a day |
| Rapid-acting (bolus) | Cover for a meal | Sharp peak, a few hours |
| Intermediate | Older background option | Peaks partway through |
A basal and bolus combination imitates what a working pancreas does: a low steady output all the time, with extra released when food arrives. Lantus supplies the steady part only, and diabetes treatment for someone needing mealtime cover requires a second, faster insulin alongside it.
What is worth knowing about the product itself?
The active substance is insulin glargine, sold under several brand names and available in more than one concentration, so a unit of one product is not interchangeable by volume with a unit of another. Because the acidic solution must stay clear, it is not mixed in the same syringe with other insulins. Low blood sugar is the main hazard of any insulin, and with a long-acting one it can develop hours after the injection, including overnight. Injection sites are rotated because repeated use of one spot builds up fatty lumps that make absorption unpredictable.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The regimen combined Lantus at night with a rapid-acting insulin at meals.
Good to know
Insulin glargine is sold in more than one concentration and under several brand names, so equal volumes of different products do not contain equal numbers of units.