Drug Database
IN

insulin (Univia / rh Insulin / Insulin R)

✓ Approved

Bayer AG · INSR · Recombinant Proteins

What is insulin?

insulin is a recombinant proteins developed by Bayer AG. It is approved for therapeutic indications via injectable (others) or intravenous (iv) or subcutaneous injection.

Drug Profile

Brand NamesUnivia, rh Insulin, Insulin R
CompanyBayer AG
Drug ClassRecombinant Proteins, Polypeptide
Molecular TargetINSR
RouteInjectable (Others), Intravenous (IV), Subcutaneous Injection
StatusApproved

Mechanism of Action

Molecular Targets

insulin acts on 1 molecular target:

INSRinsulin receptor (CD220, HHF5)
Want deeper analysis?Noah AI can explain complex mechanisms and compare to similar drugs.

Therapeutic Indications

insulin is developed for 2 unique indications across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Metabolism and nutrition disordersType 1 diabetes mellitus✓ Approved
Metabolism and nutrition disordersType 2 diabetes mellitus✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedDiabetes technology & therapeutics2026-07-17

Evaluation of an Objective Measure of Mealtime Insulin Administration Frequency in Emerging Adults with Type 1 Diabetes.

Pierce Jessica S JS, Clements Mark A MA, Lockee Brent B, Patton Susana R SR

Objective measures of self-management are critical for understanding glycemic outcomes in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The mealtime insulin bolus score (BOLUS), derived from insulin pump data, is a validated indicator of mealtime insulin engagement in pediatric T1D populations, but its validity in emerging adults (EA) is unknown. We examined associations between BOLUS scores and glycemic outcomes (HbA1c and continuous glucose monitoring metrics) in 347 EA with T1D (ages 18-22). Higher BOLUS scores were associated with lower HbA1c (r = -0.24, P < 0.001), greater time in range (r = 0.23, P < 0.001), and lower time above range (r = -0.23, P < 0.001). The mean BOLUS score (1.17) was substantially lower than the previously reported mean pediatric BOLUS score. Findings support the validity of BOLUS as an objective behavioral measure in EA with T1D and highlight reduced mealtime insulin engagement during this developmental period.

PubMedInternational journal of pharmaceutics2026-07-17

A structure dosage form approach for solubility and dissolution rate enhancement.

Zuo Xianghao X, Jain Uday U, Deng Feihuang F, Hui Ho-Wah HW et al.

Despite various attempts at solubility enhancement and advances in formulation technologies, improving the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble compounds remains a significant challenge. Melt extrusion deposition (MED®) 3D printing is an additive manufacturing technology developed specifically for pharmaceutical applications to produce dosage forms with complex internal and external geometrical structures. This technology provides novel solutions and unique opportunities for enhancing the bioavailability of poorly soluble compounds through structurally engineered tablets and supports the development of patient-centric medications tailored to meet diverse clinical needs. This study describes the use of MED® technology to formulate a poorly water-soluble model compound, enhance its solubility, and modulate its release profile to achieve immediate release (IR), extended release (ER), and extended-plus-delayed release (ER + DR). After the model compound was formulated as an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD), the solubility in distilled water increased to around 60 μg/mL, representing up to a 4-fold increase relative to its thermodynamic solubility (∼15 μg/mL). Utilizing the same ASD drug-core formulation, two distinct 3D-printed tablet structures were designed and fabricated: a mesh structure for an IR tablet and a multi-compartment structure with variable-thickness delayed-release layers for an ER + DR tablet. These designs enabled tailored release profiles for the poorly water-soluble model compound. This structure-driven approach via MED® 3D printing enables both solubility enhancement and precise release modulation for poorly water-soluble drugs, thereby providing a new pathway for the rational design and efficient development of tablet dosage forms.

PubMedmedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences2026-07-17

Coffee Intake is Associated with Improved Insulin Sensitivity and Lower Visceral Adiposity: Evidence from Biomarker and Genetic Analysis.

Sevilla-González Magdalena M, Wang Xingyan X, Yun Huan H, Mei Zhendong Z et al.

Higher coffee intake has been associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the underlying biological pathways remain incompletely understood. To examine associations of coffee intake with insulin sensitivity, adiposity, and T2D risk, and assess whether coffee intake modifies associations between pathway-specific genetic susceptibility and incident T2D. Cross-sectional analyses among 806 participants without T2D in the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) clinical sub-cohort, who underwent repeated dietary assessment, clinical phenotyping, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry imaging at baseline and year-2. Prospective analyses among 333,053 UK Biobank participants without T2D at baseline who had dietary and genetic data and were followed for a median of 13.3 years. Coffee intake assessed by food frequency questionnaires. In UK Biobank, 12 pathway-specific polygenic scores (pPS) representing distinct T2D pathophysiological mechanisms were evaluated. The primary outcomes, in VITAL, were HbA1c, oral glucose tolerance test-derived measures of glucose response and insulin sensitivity, β-cell function, and overall, truncal, and visceral adiposity; in UK Biobank, was incident T2D. In VITAL, higher coffee intake was associated with higher insulin sensitivity (standardized β per cup/day, 0.046; P = .004) and lower visceral adipose tissue mass (β, -0.047; P = .006), after adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors, including body mass index. In UK Biobank, higher coffee intake was associated with lower T2D incidence (hazard ratio per cup/day, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95-0.97), lower triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio (β,-0.01; P = 2.51 × 10^-19), and lower visceral adipose tissue mass (β, -0.01; P = 4.28 × 10^-9). Associations of 3 pPS related to insulin resistance and fat distribution with incident T2D were attenuated among participants consuming higher amount of coffee than among non-consumers (P for interaction < .0043). Higher coffee intake was associated with greater insulin sensitivity, lower visceral adiposity, and lower risk of T2D. Together with the attenuation of associations between pathway-specific genetic susceptibility and T2D risk among higher coffee consumers, these findings suggest that insulin resistance and visceral adiposity-related pathways may contribute to the association between coffee intake and T2D risk. Question: Is coffee intake associated with specific insulin sensitivity and adiposity markers, and type 2 diabetes risk, and does it modify associations between pathway-specific genetic susceptibility and type 2 diabetes?Findings: In analyses repeated dietary, clinical, and imaging phenotyping in 806 VITAL participants and prospective data from 333,053 UK Biobank participants, higher coffee intake was associated with greater insulin sensitivity, lower visceral adiposity, and lower type 2 diabetes risk. Higher coffee intake also attenuated associations of three pathway-specific polygenic scores related to insulin resistance and fat distribution with type 2 diabetes risk.Meaning: These findings suggest that pathways related to insulin sensitivity and visceral adiposity may contribute to the associations between coffee intake and lower type 2 diabetes risk.

PubMedBioprocess and biosystems engineering2026-07-17

High-yield soluble expression and affinity-tag-free purification of growth hormone receptor antagonist B2036 in Escherichia coli.

Hua Haoju H, Wang Yapeng Y, Feng Junteng J, Feng Yinuo Y et al.

Acromegaly is a severe endocrine disease, and growth hormone receptor antagonist B2036 constitutes the core protein backbone of pegvisomant. Conventional B2036 production based on inclusion bodies or periplasmic expression suffers from low yield, complicated refolding, and multi-step purification. Herein, we developed a highly efficient, refolding-free bioprocess for soluble expression of B2036 in Escherichia coli using SUMO fusion technology. The entire fermentation cycle was controlled within 24 h, and fermentation optimization via response surface methodology enabled a high-yield soluble yield of 0.95 g/L. For downstream processing, an industrial-scalable, affinity-tag-free strategy using only two chromatography steps (anion-exchange and mixed-mode chromatography) was established, producing 498.47 mg/L B2036 with 97.12% purity, representing a 20-fold improvement over previous reports. The obtained B2036 showed correct sequence, precise disulfide pairing, and strong biological activity with an IC₅₀ of 0.67 nmol/L. By removing protein refolding and metal-affinity chromatography, this simplified and robust workflow remarkably improves productivity and product quality, offering a cost-effective and scalable technical platform for large-scale manufacturing of pegvisomant biosimilars. Collectively, these findings provide a valuable reference for developing efficient soluble expression and downstream purification processes of other intrachain disulfide-bonded proteins in E. coli.

PubMedbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2026-07-17

Hepatic stearoyl-CoA desaturase deficiency ameliorates hyperglycemia through bile acid signaling in an insulin-independent manner.

Kalyesubula Mugagga M, Kim Daehan D, Kim Woo Sung WS, Wicker Nicole B NB et al.

Hyperglycemia in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is managed almost exclusively via exogenous insulin therapy, an approach restricted by significant glycemic fluctuations, long-term side effects such as weight gain, and high economic burden. Identifying physiological pathways capable of clearing blood glucose independent of insulin is therefore of paramount clinical importance. Here, we demonstrate that liver-specific stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) deficiency protects against diabetic hyperglycemia and hepatic steatosis in an insulin-independent manner. SCD1 ablation decreases cellular oleate availability, altering lipid flux and redirecting excess cholesterol into alternative biosynthetic pathways. This redirection drives a 2-fold elevation in hepatic bile acids and a striking 10-fold increase in plasma bile acids, predominantly characterized by the accumulation of taurocholic acid. This shifted bile acid pool stimulates the expression of glucose transporter 1 ( Glut1 ) in the liver via activation of the nuclear hormone receptor FXR, facilitating basal glucose clearance in the absence of insulin. Genetic deletion models show that while the hepatokine FGF21 serves as a partial mediator of this phenotype, the local bile acid-FXR axis remains a sufficient driver of systemic glucose clearance. Finally, we show that dietary oleate supplementation completely reverses this protective phenotype, turning down Glut1 expression and restoring overt diabetes. Together, our findings uncover a novel bile acid-FXR-Glut1 signaling axis triggered by SCD1 inhibition, offering a framework for insulin-independent glycemic control. Here, we demonstrate that liver-specific stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (Scd1) deficiency protects against diabetic hyperglycemia and hepatic steatosis in an insulin-independent manner. Mechanistically, Scd1 ablation redirects excess cholesterol into bile synthesis, predominantly characterized by an increase in liver and plasma taurocholic acid. These shifted bile acids stimulate hepatic glucose transporter 1 ( Glut1 ) expression via the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) activation to facilitate basal glucose clearance. While the hepatokine FGF21 acts as a partial systemic mediator, the local bile acid-Fxr axis remains a sufficient driver of clearance, a protective phenotype completely reversed by dietary oleate supplementation.

PubMedKardiologia polska2026-07-17

Increased soluble glycoprotein VI is associated with plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 driven hypofibrinolysis in patients with atrial fibrillation: a potential impact of enhanced oxidative stress.

Waśniowska Anna A, Natorska Joanna J, Konieczyńska Małgorzata M, Matusik Paweł T PT et al.

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