INDIANAPOLIS — Eli Lilly & Co. has rolled out the Humalog 200 units/ml KwikPen to U.S. pharmacies, calling the medication the nation’s first and only concentrated mealtime insulin analog.

Humalog U-200 KwikPen

Lilly said Tuesday that the Humalog U-200 KwikPen (insulin lispro 200 units/ml) prefilled pen contains a concentrated formulation of the company’s rapid-acting insulin Humalog (insulin lispro 100 units/ml) to improve glycemic control in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The pen is intended for people who are already taking mealtime insulin.

The Humalog U-200 KwikPen holds twice as many units of insulin (600 units versus 300 units) as the U-100 formulation in the same 3-ml cartridge volume, providing patients with a pen that lasts longer, resulting in fewer pen changes every month, according to Lily. That may help patients who require higher daily doses of mealtime insulin fit their treatment into their lives, the drug maker noted.

“This is an important new option for many people with diabetes. Like everyone else, people with diabetes have busy lives. More rapid-acting insulin in a single pen may help patients worry less about running out when their plans change unexpectedly,” stated David Kendall, vice president of medical affairs for Lilly Diabetes.

“For nearly 20 years, the Humalog brand has offered people who require mealtime insulin an array of options to meet their needs,” Kendall added. “Lilly is pleased to offer another choice to help people with diabetes improve their glycemic control.”

The Humalog U-200 KwikPen delivers the same dose in half the volume of U-100 mealtime insulin pens, with no dose conversions required, and can be dialed in one-unit increments to a maximum of 60 units per injection.

As with other mealtime insulin pens, Humalog U-200 KwikPen must be used within 28 days after initial use, even if insulin remains. Unused pens should be stored in the refrigerator, but once a pen has been used for the first time, it should be kept at room temperature, Lilly said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 29 million Americans have type 1 and type 2 diabetes, with type 2 diabetes being the most common, accounting for an estimated 90% to 95% of all diabetes cases, Lilly reported.