Insulin Glulisine Recombinant: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Insulin Glulisine Recombinant is a medicine sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Available as
- Injectable
- Sold as
- 2 products — Apidra and Apidra Solostar
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
How insulin glulisine recombinant is dosed
From the FDA label for Apidra (application BLA021629). Other insulin glulisine recombinant products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
See Full Prescribing Information for important administration instructions. ( 2.1 , 2.2 ) Individualize and adjust the dosage of APIDRA based on route of administration, individual's metabolic needs, blood glucose monitoring results, and glycemic control goal. ( 2.3 ) Dosage adjustments may be needed when switching from another insulin, with changes in physical activity, changes in concomitant medications, changes in meal patterns, changes in renal or hepatic function or during acute illness. ( 2.3 ) Subcutaneous Injection: ( 2.2 ) Inject within 15 minutes before a meal or within 20 minutes after starting a meal into the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Rotate injection sites within the same region to reduce the risk of lipodystrophy and localized cutaneous amyloidosis. Should generally be used in regimens with an intermediate or long-acting insulin. Continuous Subcutaneous Infusion (Insulin Pump): ( 2.2 ) Refer to the insulin infusion pump user manual to see if APIDRA can be used. Use in accordance with the insulin pump instructions for use. Administer by continuous subcutaneous infusion using an insulin pump in a region recommended in the instructions from the pump manufacturer. Rotate infusion sites within the same region to reduce the risk of lipodystrophy and localized cutaneous amyloidosis. Do not mix with other insulins or diluents in the pump. Intravenous Administration:…
Insulin Glulisine Recombinant 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) ] Hypokalemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Adverse reactions commonly associated with APIDRA include hypoglycemia, allergic reactions, injection site reactions, lipodystrophy, pruritus, rash, and weight gain. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact sanofi-aventis at 1-800-633-1610 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying designs, the adverse reaction rates reported in one clinical trial may not be easily compared to those rates reported in another clinical trial and may not reflect the rates actually observed in clinical practice. The data in Table 1 reflect the exposure of 1591 patients with type 1 diabetes to APIDRA or comparators [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ] . The type 1 diabetes population had the following characteristics: Mean age was 39.74 years. 54.5 % were male, 95.5% were Caucasian, 1.5% were Black or African American. The data in Table 2 reflect the exposure of 1766 patients with type 2 diabetes to APIDRA or comparators [see Clinical Studies (14.2) ] . The type 2 diabetes population had the following…
Who shouldn’t take insulin glulisine recombinant
APIDRA is contraindicated: during episodes of hypoglycemia in patients with known hypersensitivity to insulin glulisine or to any of the excipients in APIDRA; systemic allergic reactions have occurred with APIDRA [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) ] . Do not use during episodes of hypoglycemia. ( 4 ) Do not use in patients with hypersensitivity to insulin glulisine or any excipients in APIDRA ( 4 )
Insulin Glulisine Recombinant drug interactions
Table 6: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with APIDRA 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 analog (e.g., octreotide), and sulfonamide antibiotics. Intervention: Dose adjustment and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when APIDRA is coadministered with these drugs. Drugs that May Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of APIDRA Drugs: Atypical antipsychotics, corticosteroids, danazol, diuretics, estrogens, glucagon, isoniazid, niacin, phenothiazine derivatives, progestogens (e.g., in oral contraceptives), protease inhibitors, somatropin, sympathomimetic agents (e.g., albuterol, epinephrine, terbutaline), and thyroid hormones. Intervention: Dose adjustment and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when APIDRA is coadministered with these drugs. Drugs that May Increase or Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of APIDRA 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 APIDRA is coadministered 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 APIDRA is coadministered with these drugs. Drugs that Affect Glucose Metabolism: Adjustment of insulin dosage may be needed. ( 7 ) Antiadrenergic Drugs (e.g., beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine): Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia may be reduced or absent. ( 5.3 , 7 )
Every insulin glulisine recombinant product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | 70/100 | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → |
What people report to the FDA about insulin glulisine recombinant
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 22 reports naming insulin glulisine recombinant, and the FDA flagged 95% 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:
- dyspnoea4 reports
- abdominal pain3 reports
- anaphylactic reaction3 reports
- blood immunoglobulin e increased3 reports
- diarrhoea3 reports
- drug hypersensitivity3 reports
- drug intolerance3 reports
- enterocolitis3 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean insulin glulisine recombinant 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 August 25, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What is insulin glulisine recombinant?
Apidra (Insulin Glulisine Recombinant) is a medication supplied as an injection, solution.
Can you take insulin glulisine recombinant 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 glulisine recombinant against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is insulin glulisine recombinant sold under?
We track 2 insulin glulisine recombinant-containing products in the U.S.: Apidra and Apidra Solostar. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does insulin glulisine recombinant come in?
Across the brands we track, insulin glulisine recombinant 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 glulisine recombinant?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled insulin glulisine recombinant 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 Glulisine Recombinant: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/insulin-glulisine-recombinant
- MLA
- “Insulin Glulisine Recombinant: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/insulin-glulisine-recombinant.
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 glulisine recombinant on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.