Lantus Solostar Pen

Lantus Solostar Pen is a long-acting insulin that begins to work a few hours after injection and continues to work steadily for 24 hours.

Lantus Solostar Pen is used to help control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes mellitus.

Toujeo is intended for adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Basaglar, Lantus, and Semglee are for use in adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and in children who are at least 6 years old with type 1 diabetes (not type 2).

For type 1 diabetes, Lantus Solostar Pen is used along with a short-acting insulin that is given before meals.

Lantus Solostar Pen may also be used for reasons that are not mentioned in this medication guide.

Never share an injection pen, even if you changed the needle.

You should not use Lantus Solostar Pen if you are allergic to insulin, or if you are experiencing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment).

Lantus Solostar Pen is not approved for use by anyone younger than 6 years old, and some brands are for use only in adults. Do not use this medicine to treat type 2 diabetes in a child of any age.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• liver or kidney disease; or
• heart failure or other heart problems.

Tell your doctor if you also take pioglitazone or rosiglitazone (sometimes found in combinations with glimepiride or metformin). Taking certain oral diabetes medicines while you are using insulin may increase your risk of serious heart problems.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Follow your doctor's instructions about using this medicine if you are pregnant or you become pregnant. Controlling diabetes is very important during pregnancy.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of insulin allergy: redness or swelling where an injection was given, itchy skin rash over your whole body, trouble breathing, fast heartbeats, feeling faint, or swelling in your tongue or throat.

Lantus Solostar Pen may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor right away if you have:

• rapid weight gain, swelling in your feet or ankles;
• shortness of breath; or
• low blood potassium--leg cramps, constipation, irregular heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, increased thirst or urination, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness or feeling limp.

Common side effects of Lantus Solostar Pen may include:

• low blood sugar;
• swelling, weight gain;
• allergic reaction, itching, rash; or
• thickening or hollowness of the skin where you injected the medicine.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Lantus Solostar Pen is injected under the skin, usually once per day at the same time of day.

When treating type 1 diabetes, use your short-acting insulin before meals as directed by your doctor.

Lantus Solostar Pen must not be given with an insulin pump, or mixed with other insulins. Do not inject this medicine into a vein or a muscle.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you don't understand how to use an injection.

Prepare an injection only when you are ready to give it. Call your pharmacist if the medicine looks cloudy, has changed colors, or has particles in it.

Your healthcare provider will show you where to inject Lantus Solostar Pen. Do not inject into the same place two times in a row.

Avoid injecting into skin that is damaged, tender, bruised, pitted, thickened, scaly, or has a scar or hard lump.

Toujeo contains 300 units of insulin glargine per milliliter (mL), which is 3 times stronger than brands that contain 100 units per mL.

Your dose needs may change if you switch to a different brand, strength, or form of this medicine. Avoid medication errors by using only the medicine your doctor prescribes.

If you use an injection pen, use only the injection pen that comes with Lantus Solostar Pen. Attach a new needle before each use. Do not transfer the insulin from the pen into a syringe.

Never share an injection pen, even if you changed the needle. Sharing these devices can pass infections from person to person.

Blood sugar can be affected by stress, illness, surgery, exercise, alcohol use, or skipping meals.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can make you feel very hungry, dizzy, irritable, or shaky. To quickly treat hypoglycemia, eat or drink hard candy, crackers, raisins, fruit juice, or non-diet soda. Your doctor may prescribe glucagon injection in case of severe hypoglycemia.

Tell your doctor if you have frequent symptoms of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) such as increased thirst or urination. Ask your doctor before changing your medication dosage.

Keep this medicine in its original container protected from heat and light. Do not freeze insulin or store it near the cooling element in a refrigerator. Throw away any insulin that has been frozen.

Storing unopened (not in use) Lantus Solostar Pen:

• Refrigerate and use until expiration date; or
• (Basaglar, Lantus, or Semglee) Store at room temperature (below 86 degrees Fahrenheit) and use within 28 days.

Storing opened (in use) Lantus Solostar Pen:

• Store the vial in a refrigerator or at room temperature and use within 28 days.
• Store the injection pen at room temperature (do not refrigerate) and use within 28 days.
• Store Toujeo at room temperature below 86 F (do not refrigerate) and use within 56 days.

Do not store an injection pen with the needle attached. Do not reuse a needle or syringe. Place them in a puncture-proof "sharps" container and dispose of it following state or local laws. Keep out of the reach of children and pets.

Wear a medical alert tag or carry an ID card to let others know you have diabetes.

Call your doctor for instructions if you miss a dose. Do not use more than one dose in a 24-hour period unless your doctor tells you to.

Get your prescription refilled before you completely run out of medicine.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Insulin overdose can cause severe hypoglycemia. Symptoms include drowsiness, confusion, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in your mouth, trouble speaking, muscle weakness, clumsy or jerky movements, seizure (convulsions), or loss of consciousness.

Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how Lantus Solostar Pen will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.

Avoid medication errors by always checking the medicine label before injecting your insulin.

Avoid drinking alcohol or using medicines that contain alcohol. It may interfere with your diabetes treatment.

Many medicines can change your blood sugar levels and may also affect the Lantus Solostar Pen. This includes both prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal products. Be sure to inform your doctor about all other medicines you are taking. This list does not include all possible interactions.

Biosimilar and interchangeable products are biological products that are very similar to the original product and do not have any significant clinical differences from it.

Reference products

These are biological products that have been approved by the FDA and are used as a comparison for biosimilar products. There are 4 for Lantus Solostar.

Basaglar (insulin glargine) - Eli Lilly and Company

View Basaglar information in detail.

Lantus (insulin glargine) - Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC

View Lantus information in detail.

Semglee (insulin glargine) - Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.

View Semglee information in detail.

Toujeo (insulin glargine) - Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC

View Toujeo information in detail.

Lantus interchangeable products

Interchangeable biosimilar products can be given by a pharmacist without needing approval from the prescriber of the original product.

Pharmacy laws regarding biosimilar prescribing may differ by state.

Langlara (insulin glargine-aldy) - Sunshine Lake Pharma Co., Ltd.

View Langlara information in detail.

Rezvoglar (insulin glargine-aglr) - Eli Lilly and Company

View Rezvoglar information in detail.

Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn) - Biocon Biologics Inc.

View Semglee information in detail.