Insulin Lispro
Insulin lispro is a rapid-acting insulin analogue injected before meals to control postprandial blood glucose. In patients with T2D already on basal insulin who need further glucose control, adding prandial insulin lispro three times daily is the conventional intensification step. SURPASS-6 tested whether once-weekly tirzepatide could serve as an alternative to this intensification, and found tirzepatide superior on HbA1c with 11× lower hypoglycaemia and 12.2 kg weight advantage.
Ontology Insulin Lispro [compared_against] Tirzepatide Insulin Lispro [comparator_in] SURPASS-6 Insulin Lispro [relates] Insulin-Use Reduction Insulin Lispro [relates] Hypoglycaemia Risk
Comparison Against Tirzepatide (SURPASS-6, 52 weeks, both on basal insulin glargine)
- HbA1c: −1.1% (lispro) vs −2.1% (tirzepatide); mean HbA1c 7.7% vs 6.7% — tirzepatide superior
- Weight: +3.2 kg (lispro) vs −9.0 kg (tirzepatide) — 12.2 kg difference
- Insulin use: Lispro = 3 daily injections; tirzepatide = 1 weekly injection — major burden difference
- Hypoglycaemia: 4.4 events/year (lispro) vs 0.4 (tirzepatide) — 11× lower
- Kidney outcomes: Not assessed in SURPASS-6
- Cardiovascular outcomes: Not assessed in SURPASS-6
- Side effects: Lispro: hypoglycaemia, weight gain; tirzepatide: GI events
- Cost/access: Lispro is generic/widely available; tirzepatide is newer and more expensive
- Evidence quality: SURPASS-6 is single Eli Lilly-funded trial; no independent replication
Connections
- Tirzepatide — compared_against, [2023]
- SURPASS-6 — comparator_in, [2023]
- Hypoglycaemia Risk — relates, [2023]
- Insulin-Use Reduction — relates, [2023]