Availability of Natural Animal Insulins in the UK
GM Vs animal insulin
Choices – The Evidence
Evidence from people with diabetes
A little bit of history
Facts
Action and duration times of animal and GM ‘human’ insulins
Hypoglycaemia and loss of warnings
‘Dead in Bed Syndrome’
The concerns of patients are justified
Availability of natural animal insulins in the UK
Changing your insulin
What to do if your consultant refuses to change your insulin
Availability of animal insulin if admitted to hospital
Frequently asked questions
Allergic reactions to insulin
Availability of natural animal insulins in the UK
GM ‘human’ insulins are supplied in the UK by three major pharmaceutical companies: Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi-aventis. Information about the availability of insulins by these companies is readily available from your GP or diabetes clinic. However, information about natural animal insulins is not so readily available and all too frequently patients are not informed of their availability, despite their right to an informed choice of treatment. Even when suffering unaccountable symptoms and loss of warnings of hypoglycaemia, most people are not given the opportunity to try animal insulin. As a result, many people do not realise there are other options or that they are being prescribed a genetically modified drug. Some believe that ‘human’ insulin is actually insulin obtained from man. It is not, it is produced genetically from bacteria or yeast. Animal insulins are extracted from the pancreases of pigs and cattle.
Animal insulins in the UK are supplied by one company:
- Wockhardt UK [formerly CP Pharmaceuticals Ltd] – Supply pork and beef insulins in both vials and cartridges. The following are available.
Pork Insulin
Hypurin Porcine Neutral |
Short acting in 10ml vials and 3.00ml cartridges |
Hypurin Porcine Isophane |
Intermediate acting in 10ml vials and 3.00ml cartridges |
Hypurin Porcine 30/70 mix |
Mixture of 30% Neutral and 70% Isophane in 10ml vials and 3.00ml cartridges |
Beef Insulin
Hypurin Bovine Neutral |
Short acting in 10ml vials and 3.00ml cartridges |
Hypurin Bovine Isophane |
Intermediate acting in 10ml vials and 3.00ml cartridges |
Hypurin Bovine PZI |
Long acting in 10ml vials |
Hypurin Bovine Lente |
Long acting in 10ml vials |
Future availability:
Wockhardt UK CP Pharmaceuticals are committed to supplying beef and pork insulins in the future and do supply to people in countries where animal insulins through importation for personal use schemes. .
Wockhardt website: www.wockhardt.co.uk
Note: Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Ltd discontinued their pork insulins, Actrapid, Insulatard and Mixtard 30/70 at the end of 2007 in the UK. Some health professionals, including pharmacists tell people that animal insulins are no longer available because they seem unaware that they are manufactured by Wockhardt UK.
As part of their global strategy, Novo Nordisk has discontinued animal insulins in all countries. In October 2002 Novo Nordisk confirmed to IDDT that they supply 20,000 people in the UK with pork insulin but despite this need, they made the decision to cease supplying at the end of 2007.