Insulin Glargine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Insulin Glargine is an insulin analog sold in the U.S. under one brand, for type 1 diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperglycemia. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Insulin Analog
- Treats
- Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Hyperglycemia
- Available as
- Injectable
- Sold as
- Basaglar
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
How insulin glargine is dosed
From the FDA label for Basaglar (application BLA205692). Other insulin glargine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Individualize dosage based on metabolic needs, blood glucose monitoring, glycemic control, type of diabetes, prior insulin use. ( 2.2 , 2.3 , 2.4 ) Administer subcutaneously once daily at any time of day, but at the same time every day. ( 2.2 ) Rotate injection sites into the abdominal area, thigh, or deltoid to reduce the risk of lipodystrophy and localized cutaneous amyloidosis. ( 2.1 ) Closely monitor glucose when converting to BASAGLAR and during initial weeks thereafter. ( 2.2 ) Do not dilute or mix with any other insulin or solution. ( 2.1 ) 2.1 Important Administration Instructions Always check insulin labels before administration [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] . Visually inspect BASAGLAR prefilled pens for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration. Only use if the solution is clear and colorless with no visible particles. Administer BASAGLAR subcutaneously into the abdominal area, thigh, or deltoid, and rotate injection sites within the same region from one injection to the next to reduce the risk of lipodystrophy and localized cutaneous amyloidosis. Do not inject into areas of lipodystrophy or localized cutaneous amyloidosis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 ) and Adverse Reactions ( 6 )] . During changes to a patient's insulin regimen, increase the frequency of blood glucose monitoring [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] . Use BASAGLAR…
Insulin Glargine side effects
The following adverse reactions are discussed elsewhere: Hypoglycemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] . Hypoglycemia Due to Medication Errors [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] . Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] . Hypokalemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] . Adverse reactions commonly (≥5%) associated with insulin glargine products are: Hypoglycemia, allergic reactions, injection site reaction, lipodystrophy, pruritus, rash, edema, and weight gain. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Eli Lilly and Company at 1-800-LillyRx (1-800-545-5979) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trial Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Two clinical trials with BASAGLAR were conducted: one in type 1 diabetes and one in type 2 diabetes. The type 1 diabetes population had the following characteristics: Mean age was 41 years and mean duration of diabetes was 16 years. 58% were male. 75% were Caucasian, 2% Black or African American and 4% American Indian or Alaskan native. 4% were Hispanic. At baseline, mean eGFR was 109 mL/min/1.73m 2 . 73.5 percent of patients had…
Who shouldn’t take insulin glargine
BASAGLAR is contraindicated: During episodes of hypoglycemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] . In patients with hypersensitivity to insulin glargine or any of the excipients in BASAGLAR [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] . During episodes of hypoglycemia. ( 4 ) Hypersensitivity to BASAGLAR or any of its excipients. ( 4 )
Insulin Glargine drug interactions
Table 6 includes clinically significant drug interactions with BASAGLAR Table 6: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with BASAGLAR Drugs That May Increase the Risk of Hypoglycemia Drugs: Antidiabetic agents, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blocking agents, disopyramide, fibrates, fluoxetine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, pentoxifylline, pramlintide, salicylates, somatostatin analogs (e.g., octreotide), and sulfonamide antibiotics. Intervention: Dose reductions and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when BASAGLAR is co-administered with these drugs. Drugs That May Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of BASAGLAR Drugs: Atypical antipsychotics (e.g., olanzapine and clozapine), corticosteroids, danazol, diuretics, estrogens, glucagon, isoniazid, niacin, oral contraceptives, phenothiazines, progestogens (e.g., in oral contraceptives), protease inhibitors, somatropin, sympathomimetic agents (e.g., albuterol, epinephrine, terbutaline), and thyroid hormones Intervention: Dose increases and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when BASAGLAR is co-administered with these drugs. Drugs That May Increase or Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of BASAGLAR Drugs: Alcohol, beta-blockers, clonidine, and lithium salts. Pentamidine may cause hypoglycemia, which may sometimes be followed by hyperglycemia. Intervention: Dose adjustment and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when BASAGLAR is co-administered with these drugs. Drugs That May Blunt Signs and Symptoms of Hypoglycemia Drugs: beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine Intervention: Increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when BASAGLAR is co-administered with these drugs. Drugs that may increase the risk of hypoglycemia: antidiabetic agents, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blocking agents, disopyramide, fibrates, fluoxetine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, pentoxifylline, pramlintide, salicylates, somatostatin analog (e.g., octreotide), and sulfonamide antibiotics ( 7 ). Drugs that may decrease the blood glucose lowering effect: atypical antipsychotics, corticosteroids, danazol, diuretics, estrogens, glucagon, isoniazid, niacin, oral contraceptives, phenothiazines, progestogens (e.g., in oral contraceptives), protease inhibitors, somatropin, sympathomimetic agents (e.g., albuterol, epinephrine, terbutaline), and thyroid hormones ( 7 ). Drugs that may increase or decrease the blood glucose lowering effect: alcohol, beta-blockers, clonidine, lithium salts, and pentamidine ( 7 ). Drugs that may blunt the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia: beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine ( 7 ).
Every insulin glargine product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Basaglar.
Combination products containing insulin glargine
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
What people report to the FDA about insulin glargine
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 24,983 reports naming insulin glargine, and the FDA flagged 81% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- blood glucose increased1,845 reports
- hypoglycaemia1,700 reports
- device mechanical issue1,209 reports
- nausea1,055 reports
- dyspnoea1,042 reports
- acute kidney injury998 reports
- diarrhoea984 reports
- hyperglycaemia975 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean insulin glargine caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is insulin glargine?
Basaglar (Insulin Glargine) is an insulin analog used to treat Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Hyperglycemia.
What kind of drug is insulin glargine?
The FDA classifies insulin glargine as an insulin analog. Insulin analogs are lab-modified versions of human insulin engineered to be absorbed faster or last longer. Like natural insulin, they lower blood sugar by helping muscle and fat cells take up glucose and by telling the liver to stop releasing its own sugar. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take insulin glargine with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run insulin glargine against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does insulin glargine come in?
Across the brands we track, insulin glargine is currently marketed as injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic insulin glargine?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled insulin glargine product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Insulin Glargine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/insulin-glargine
- MLA
- “Insulin Glargine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/insulin-glargine.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for insulin glargine on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.