insulin-is my instructor full of it??

suzanne4, RN · Jul 12, 2005

I am in pre-nursing and taking clinical calculations- my instructor said that the UK doesn't use Human insulin as much as the US due to the genetic engineering of bacteria required to produce it. Is this true? or is he full of it?? Anyone know where I might find specific #s? Thanks.

The insulin that is used most of the time is called "Humulin" which is synthetic. The original insulins were manufactured from either pork or beef.

The UK is much smaller so they are not going to use near the quantity that we use, but they have a large percentage of the population that are diabetics, just like the US.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jul 13, 2005

Can you expand on what the instructor said? Did he say Human or Humulin?

Pork and Beef insulin are still available there and there is some sentiment there (and a lot of other places too) that there is no evidence that "GM" genetically modified.... meds like insulin are any better than the former animal sources. Many people want the animal insulin for their pets. I believe it is less expensive.

The FDA here is leaning toward human insulin in only the regular and N variety. My nephew has taken ultra-lente and then lente since he was 5. He was in some of the first trials of the human kind. He said he really felt better on the former.

Anyway

http://www.iddtinternational.org/campaigning/gmvsanimalinsulin.htm

and

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/insulin-in-the-uk.html

Hope this helps. You might also do a medscape.com check for some other references.

okie2 · Jul 13, 2005

I am referring to Humulin/Human insulin / derived from recombinant dna in E coli. He said that Europe, in general, had issues with GM products- so they use the pork or beef derived insulin more than the "human".

Hope this is more clear- Thanks for the references. I've only peeked at them but there's a lot of info- :)

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jul 13, 2005

The insulin that is used most of the time is called "Humulin" which is synthetic. The original insulins were manufactured from either pork or beef.
The UK is much smaller so they are not going to use near the quantity that we use, but they have a large percentage of the population that are diabetics, just like the US.

Very interesting and thank for posting that up :)

Stephanie in FL · Jul 13, 2005

Humulin is actually a brand name of insulins made by Eli Lilly.

Stephanie RN CDE