Are the newer types of insulin safer than animal-derived insulin products?”
Up until the early 80s, most insulin sold and used was pork and beef insulin and contained a fair amount of impurities. Sometimes users developed antibodies to the insulin as well as to the impurities. The 1980s brought new developments (and improvements) in insulin — purified insulin (both pork and beef), recombinant DNA insulin (genetically engineered) & biosynthetic human insulin. Insulin glargine (Lantus) is one of the newer analogs as is insulin detemir. These newer analogs provide more predictable and stable glucose levels than, say, NPH and are less likely to result in hypoglycemia. Sources: I’m a nurse.
