Sanofi, a global bio pharmaceutical company, has announced to introduce its next generation basal insulin, also known as insulin glargine U300 in Pakistan that is effective for 24 hour in the body of a diabetic person, during scientific event held at local hotel on Friday and was attended by leading doctors. During the ceremony, in an interview, Dr Helen L Baron, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California explained the importance of basal insulin. Q — What do you mean by next generation insulin? Dr Helen L Baron: There are different kind of insulin, few last for few hours and other run for many hours a day. The control of blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes remains suboptimal, with many patients on treatment for diabetes not reaching their blood sugar level goals and Sanofi’s new basal insulin, designed to act over 24 hours, seeks to address this unmet need to improve the control of blood sugar in adults living with diabetes. Insulin glargine U300 takes the benefits of insulin to the next level, thus providing physicians a better tool to empower their diabetic patients, offering them insulin with lowest risk of hypoglycemia and being safest in reaching optimal glucose control Q — Is it available in other countries too? Dr Helen L Baron: The basal insulin was approved by FDA in 2015 and since then the drug has been introduced in many countries, including the US, Canada, Russia, Japan and India. Q — How will the new insulin help patients/ doctors in diabetes treatment? Dr Helen L Baron: Sanofi’s insulin glargine U300 works like the human body’s natural insulin and helps control blood sugar along with diet and exercise. The new insulin promises stable blood sugar control throughout the day and night, offering dosage flexibility and providing empowerment to patients. Addressing the ceremony, Asim Jamal, Country Chair & General Manager, Sanofi Pakistan, emphasized that “Sanofi is proud of its century-long heritage in diabetes research and development. We have been empowering people living with diabetes in Pakistan for over 50 years through oral therapies and for over a decade with insulin therapies. It is our endeavor to bring innovative solutions to patients to improve their health while our team of dedicated Diabetes Educators strives to empower people with diabetes to manage their condition efficiently and live active, full lives. We remain committed to bringing advanced therapies to Pakistan, delivering better health outcomes for people with diabetes.” International experts on diabetes management shared their experience and expertise with local doctors, addressing topics that would help local clinicians to make well informed decisions for their diabetes patients taking multiple factors into consideration. Making a presentation titled ‘An insulin of today for a steady tomorrow”, Dr. Leszek Czupryniak, Professor at the Department of Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, said “Nearly 50 percent of people living with diabetes remain uncontrolled. Despite the proven efficacy of insulin, ensuring effective titration and maintenance can be a challenge – mostly due to the risk of hypoglycemia – and the insulin being launched today provides a new option. Published in Daily Times, January 26th 2019.