Short answer: Both are insulin lispro, injected within 15 minutes before a meal or right after, for adults and children with diabetes.12 Admelog comes only as U-100 in vials and a SoloStar pen. Humalog also comes as U-200 and in KwikPen, Junior KwikPen, Tempo Pen and cartridges. The Admelog label says a switch from another insulin lispro uses the same dose.
| Admelog | Humalog | |
|---|---|---|
| What is in it | Insulin lispro 100 units/mL1 | Insulin lispro, 100 or 200 units/mL2 |
| Forms | 10 mL and 3 mL vials, 3 mL SoloStar pen1 | U-100: 10 mL and 3 mL vials, KwikPen, Tempo Pen, Junior KwikPen, cartridges. U-200: KwikPen2 |
| When injected | Within fifteen minutes before a meal or immediately after a meal1 | Within fifteen minutes before a meal or immediately after a meal2 |
| Pen steps | SoloStar dials in 1-unit steps1 | 1-unit steps up to 60 units; Junior KwikPen 0.5-unit steps up to 30 units2 |
| Insulin pump | Change the reservoir at least every 7 days1 | U-100 only; change the reservoir at least every 7 days2 |
| Mixing in a syringe | Section 2.4 says not mixed with any other insulin1 | U-100 may be mixed with NPH insulin only2 |
| Switching in | Same dose as the other insulin lispro product1 | A different dose may be needed when switching from another insulin2 |
| Missed dose | No instruction in the label1 | No instruction in the label2 |
| Boxed warning | None1 | None2 |
Two 26-week Admelog trials compared it with a comparator the label describes as "another insulin lispro product, 100 units/mL, or a non-U.S.-licensed insulin lispro product," both with insulin glargine. In 507 adults with type 1 diabetes, HbA1c fell 0.40% on Admelog and 0.46% on the comparator. In 505 adults with type 2 diabetes it fell 0.86% vs 0.80%. Both met the label's non-inferiority test.1 The label does not say the comparator was Humalog.
For children, the Admelog label relies on studies of another insulin lispro product in children 3 years and older with type 1 diabetes. Severe low blood sugar affected 13.5% of people with type 1 diabetes over 52 weeks on Admelog and 2.4% with type 2 over 26 weeks.1
No. Both list low blood sugar as the most common reaction, plus never sharing pens, medication mix-ups, low potassium, allergic reactions, heart failure with thiazolidinediones and pump failure.12 Humalog U-200 adds that it is not used in a pump or into a vein.2
Which, if either, fits is for your prescriber. More detail: Admelog side effects, the Admelog dosing schedule, the Humalog missed-dose page, how to store Admelog, how to store Humalog and Humalog vs NovoLog: what is different between the two mealtime insulins?.