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What is Apidra (Insulin Glulisine)?
Apidra is a brand name of insulin glulisine, which is a rapid-acting insulin analog. Like all insulin analogs, it is a genetically modified version of naturally occurring human insulin. Rapid-acting insulin analogs are sometimes referred to as mealtime, or bolus insulin, because they help to regulate your blood sugar levels right after mealtime. Apidra is currently the only mealtime insulin approved for you to take within 20 minutes after or within 15 minutes before starting a meal. It is taken as a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection and has a more rapid onset and a shorter duration of action compared to naturally occurring human insulin.

What is it used for?
Apidra is for the treatment of adults or children (6 years and older) with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It helps to improve blood sugar regulation. It is given by subcutaneous injection and is typically used along with a longer-acting basal background insulin to help give you full day of protection against blood sugar level fluctuations. Together with regular exercise, a healthy meal plan, and a longer-acting insulin, Apidra has been shown to help decrease blood sugar levels in children (6 years and older and adults with type I diabetes or adults with type II diabetes.

How does Apidra work?
The main therapeutic activity of insulin and insulin analogs, including Apidra, is the control of sugar breakdown from food (carbohydrates, fats and proteins). Insulin helps lower blood sugar levels by activating blood sugar absorption by skeletal muscle and fat cells, and by preventing the liver from producing and releasing more sugar back into the blood.

Its ability to lower blood sugar levels is the same as naturally occurring human insulin when administered with an intravenous (into the vein) injection, but when administered through subcutaneous (under the skin) injection as with the Apidra SoloSTAR Pen, the effects are more rapid and have a shorter duration than naturally occurring human insulin.