Trurapi vs Novorapid ??

H

Hawk22

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent
My daughter is 5, diagnosed 9 months. She is on Novorapid and Levemir for long acting.
She is due to go onto the Omnipod 5 pump next week. I have recieved an email from the diabetes team informing me to collect her insulin for the pump, and that it is called Trurapi. I have never heard of this insulin, and I don’t want to change.
A quick google tells me it’s basically the same as Novorapid, but cheaper for the NHS. How can it be the same but cheaper? It can’t be the same.
Trurapi has only been around for 3 years and makes me uneasy! Novorapid has been around a lot longer - 1999.
Just looking for people who have done the swap from Novorapid to Trurapi and can tell me how your experience was?

Thanks
 
Hawk22 said:
My daughter is 5, diagnosed 9 months. She is on Novorapid and Levemir for long acting.
She is due to go onto the Omnipod 5 pump next week. I have recieved an email from the diabetes team informing me to collect her insulin for the pump, and that it is called Trurapi. I have never heard of this insulin, and I don’t want to change.
A quick google tells me it’s basically the same as Novorapid, but cheaper for the NHS. How can it be the same but cheaper? It can’t be the same.
Trurapi has only been around for 3 years and makes me uneasy! Novorapid has been around a lot longer - 1999.
Just looking for people who have done the swap from Novorapid to Trurapi and can tell me how your experience was?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Novorapid and Trurapi are called 'Biosimilar' insulins. What has happened with several well known brands that have been around for a while, is that their patents have run out, and other companies can produce their own version. These versions are meant to be as identical as possible, but may be produced in a slightly different way. Whilst people can be started on the new biosimilar insulins, I think that prescribers aren’t supposed to swap people from one to another without having a discussion about it with the patient, (or carer/guardian), because they aren’t absolutely identical and may work is a slightly different way in the individual patient. Having said that, you may find pressure to at least try it, because of the cost saving to the NHS.
 
Try telling them that you don’t agree with the change @Hawk22 and wish your daughter to stay on Novorapid. Many people need branded meds rather than bio-similars. I think sometimes they try to change things in the hope that some people will just go along with the change without a fuss. I’ve put my foot down about something before and I was kept on the original product. If you say nothing, they’ll think you don’t mind.
 
Hi @Hawk22

This is Diabetes UK position on the use of biosimilar insulins from a few years ago. There's a link to their full position and advice on changing to a biosimilar on the page.

Biosimilar insulins (our position)

Biosimilar insulin is a biological copy of an original insulin and there is increasing interest in developing and using them. Biosimilar insulins are cheaper than original products so they present the NHS with opportunities around availability and cost of care. However, there is lack of...
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk

I'd contact your daughters team and request she stays on the named brand that she started on, I did this a few years ago when I was changed without any discussion to Admelog a biosimilar of Humalog insulin.
Biosimilar insulins are as per the name very similar in structure to the branded version but are not identical so have to be called biosimilar. I hope your daughters team will understand your concerns especially with the added learning curve of starting on the Omnipod.
 
Yes I remember you didn’t find the ‘similar’ acted quite the same for you @Flower

Hope you are able to have a positive and productive conversation @Hawk22 - these changes really shouldn’t happen without proper conversations and agreement.
 
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