• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Animal derived insulins

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.

london5

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Does anyone know for sure whether Lantus and Trurapi are or are not animal derived? Bizarrely Google doesn't seem to find a definitive answer. I am vegetarian on grounds of morality and I know lots of medicines are tested on animals so there are conflicts everywhere, but for me this a huge thing.
 
They aren’t @london5

Lantus and Trurapi are analogue insulins.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you whether animal testing was used at some point during their initial development and testing.

My simple understanding it that they are rDNA (recombinant DNA) insulins cooked up in vats of E-Coli.

I believe the only animal-derived insulin still available in the UK is porcine, after Wockhardt stopped production of bovine insulin some years ago
 
Last edited:
Does anyone know for sure whether Lantus and Trurapi are or are not animal derived? Bizarrely Google doesn't seem to find a definitive answer. I am vegetarian on grounds of morality and I know lots of medicines are tested on animals so there are conflicts everywhere, but for me this a huge thing.

They’re both genetically engineered. They don’t come from animals and were engineered in a lab. IDDT have fought to keep animal insulins available as they suit some people better.
 
They’re both genetically engineered. They don’t come from animals and were engineered in a lab. IDDT have fought to keep animal insulins available as they suit some people better.

I am on porcine insulin (Actrapid and Isophane) as I do not get hypo symptoms. In hospital it has been 1.8 without symptoms when a (vegan) consultant would not believe me! :(
 
I am on porcine insulin (Actrapid and Isophane) as I do not get hypo symptoms. In hospital it has been 1.8 without symptoms when a (vegan) consultant would not believe me! :(

Actrapid is a regular human insulin though, isn’t it? Do you mean Hypurin?
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top