Insulin aspart: a novel rapid-acting human insulin analogue

In order to improve therapy and increase the quality of life for diabetic patients, it has been of significant interest to develop rapid-acting insulin preparations that mimic the physiological meal-time profile of insulin more closely than soluble human insulin. Insulin aspart (B28Asp human insulin) is a novel rapid-acting insulin analogue that fulfils this criterion. The B28Asp modification weakens the self-association of the insulin molecule and provides a more rapid absorption from the sc. injection site. The preclinical evaluation in vitro and in vivo demonstrates that apart from the more rapid absorption, insulin aspart is equivalent to human insulin. Thus, insulin aspart is equivalent to human insulin on key in vitro parameters such as insulin receptor affinity, insulin receptor dissociation rate, insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activation, IGF-I receptor binding affinity, metabolic and mitogenic potency. In accordance with the equivalent in vitro profiles, the toxico-pharmacological properties of insulin aspart and human insulin are also identical. The available data for insulin aspart and other rapid-acting insulin analogues supports that in vitro assays are sensitive and valuable in the preclinical evaluation of insulin analogues. Clinical studies demonstrate that insulin aspart has a pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile superior to that of soluble human insulin. In Type 1 diabetic patients on a basal-bolus injection regimen, insulin aspart given immediately before the meals provides an improved postprandial glycaemic control and an improved long-term metabolic control, as compared to soluble human insulin given 30 min before the meals, without increasing the risk of hypoglycaemia. Taken together, the data support the hope that insulin aspart will allow the diabetic patient to combine a more flexible lifestyle with better glycaemic control, without any increased safety risk.