A Comparison of Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Properties Between Faster-Acting Insulin Aspart and Insulin Aspart in Elderly Subjects with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Due to population aging, an increasing number of elderly patients with diabetes use insulin. It is therefore important to investigate the characteristics of new insulins in this population. Faster-acting insulin aspart (faster aspart) is insulin aspart (IAsp) in a new formulation with faster absorption. This study investigated the pharmacological properties of faster aspart in elderly subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

METHODS: In a randomised, double-blind, two-period crossover trial, 30 elderly (≥65 years) and 37 younger adults (18-35 years) with T1DM received single subcutaneous faster aspart or IAsp dosing (0.2 U/kg) and underwent an euglycaemic clamp (target 5.5 mmol/L) for up to 12 h.

RESULTS: The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic time profiles were left-shifted for faster aspart versus IAsp. In each age group, onset of appearance occurred approximately twice as fast (~3 min earlier) and early exposure (area under the concentration-time curve [AUC] for serum IAsp from time zero to 30 min [AUCIAsp,0-30 min ]) was greater (by 86% in elderly and 67% in younger adults) for faster aspart than for IAsp. Likewise, onset of action occurred 10 min faster in the elderly and 9 min faster in younger adults, and early glucose-lowering effect (AUC for the glucose infusion rate [GIR] from time zero to 30 min [AUCGIR,0-30 min ]) was greater (by 109%) for faster aspart than for IAsp in both age groups. Total exposure (AUCIAsp,0-t ) and the maximum concentration (C max ) for faster aspart were greater (by 30 and 28%, respectively) in elderly than in younger adults. No age group differences were seen for the total (AUCGIR,0-t ) or maximum (GIRmax ) glucose-lowering effect.

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the ultra-fast pharmacological properties of faster aspart are similar in elderly subjects and younger adults with T1DM. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02003677.