Short answer: Insulin lispro has a half-life of about 1 hour (Humalog, under the skin). Levels peak 30 to 90 minutes (Humalog); 57 minutes (Lyumjev) after a dose. People vary, so treat these as estimates.
Insulin lispro is a rapid-acting (mealtime) insulin: a lab-made insulin changed slightly so it is absorbed faster than regular human insulin. It is sold as Humalog, Admelog and Lyumjev (insulin lispro-aabc, a faster-absorbed form), and as the premixed Humalog Mix75/25 and Mix50/50.
Also known as: Humalog, Admelog, Lyumjev, insulin lispro-aabc.
Humalog U-100 (100 units/mL) comes in 10 mL and 3 mL vials, 3 mL cartridges, a KwikPen, a Junior KwikPen and a Tempo Pen; Humalog U-200 comes in a 3 mL KwikPen. Admelog is U-100 in 10 mL and 3 mL vials and a SoloStar pen. Lyumjev comes in the same U-100 and U-200 forms as Humalog. Only U-100 is used in an insulin pump or given into a vein.
The labels approve insulin lispro to improve blood sugar control in adults and children with diabetes. Label timing: Humalog and Admelog are injected under the skin within 15 minutes before a meal or right after a meal; Lyumjev at the start of a meal or within 20 minutes after starting it. By injection they are usually used with an intermediate- or long-acting insulin. The dose is set for each person, and the labels give no fixed starting dose. U-100 can be used in an insulin pump (Humalog in a pump is changed at least every 7 days) or given into a vein under medical supervision. Humalog and Admelog have no missed-dose rule; the Lyumjev label says that after a forgotten mealtime dose, glucose is checked to decide whether a dose is needed.
No lispro label has a boxed warning. Low blood sugar is the most common side effect of every insulin, and severe lows can cause seizures or death. The labels also warn: never share a pen, cartridge or syringe, even with a new needle; changes in insulin type, maker, strength or injection site are made under medical supervision with more glucose checks; insulin mix-ups have happened, so the label is checked before each injection; insulin can lower potassium; and heart failure can worsen when insulin is used with a thiazolidinedione such as pioglitazone. Pump users are also warned that pump or infusion set failure can quickly raise blood sugar. In the Humalog type 1 trial, flu syndrome (34.6%), pharyngitis and headache were close to rates on regular human insulin; on a pump, Lyumjev infusion site reactions affected 19.1%. See side effects of Humalog, Admelog and Lyumjev; dosing schedules for Humalog, Admelog and Lyumjev; missed doses for Humalog and Lyumjev; storage for Humalog, Admelog, Lyumjev and Humalog Mix75/25. Comparisons: Admelog vs Humalog, Lyumjev vs Humalog, Humalog vs NovoLog, Humalog vs Apidra, Humulin R vs Humalog, Fiasp vs Lyumjev and Humalog Mix vs NovoLog Mix. What the mix numbers mean: premixed insulin.
The Humalog label says that after an injection under the skin its half-life is shorter than regular human insulin, 1 hour versus 1.5 hours, and peak levels came 30 to 90 minutes after doses of 0.1 to 0.4 units/kg in healthy people (50 to 120 minutes for regular insulin). The Lyumjev label says insulin lispro-aabc appeared in the blood about 1 minute after injection and peaked at 57 minutes; its effect was first measurable at about 15 to 17 minutes and returned to baseline after about 4.6 to 7.3 hours, depending on dose.
Numbers shown are taken from the source above. Half-life varies from person to person.
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