Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk says Levemir, one of its insulin analogue products, does not have a higher risk of cancer when compared to human insulin, according to a recent article from Reuters Health.
The findings of a study involving 9,000 patients were presented at a European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna. With the findings, Novo seeks to distance itself even further from Sanofi-Aventis’s insulin analogue Lantus, which some recent studies suggest may cause cancer.
Unlike insulin produced by the body, Levemir and Lantus are insulin analogues, which contain a slightly altered molecular structure which enables them to last for a longer period of time in the body. However, while both are insulin analogues, Novo pointed out Levemir has different characteristics than Lantus. Specifically, Levermir does not bind any more than regular insulin a receptor known to promote tumor growth in the body.
Levemir, which was launched more recently than Lantus, was not studied in the recent reports about Lantus.
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