For over a year now, people in Quebec who are living with type 1 diabetes and who are insured with the RAMQ (R\u00e9gie de l\u2019assurance maladie du Qu\u00e9bec) can no longer start their treatment using Lantus\u00ae (long-acting insulin). <\/p>\n
People starting on long-acting insulin are now required to use the generic (or biosimilar) version of Lantus\u00ae, called Basaglar\u00ae. The generic version of a drug is the same as the original brand-name drug\u2014same active principle and concentration\u2014, but is sold at a lower cost due to its development being much simpler and taking much less time. In this case, the biosimilar version is required to have a similar impact as the original insulin on hemoglobin A1c (A1c, which reflects blood sugar control over the past three months) and on the risk of hypoglycemia. <\/p>\n
However, Lantus\u00ae is still covered for people who were already using it, with no need to switch to Basaglar\u00ae.<\/p>\n
The use of Basaglar\u00ae and generic drugs is now mandatory for all users in Alberta and British Columbia due to their lower costs. <\/p>\n
This means that residents of these two provinces who have type 1 diabetes and who used Lantus\u00ae with a pen or a syringe now have to switch to Basaglar\u00ae. <\/p>\n
They shouldn\u2019t see any impact on their blood sugar, but they\u2019ll have to learn how to use a different pen to inject Basaglar\u00ae.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no change yet for Quebec residents who use Lantus\u00ae and maintained coverage under the RAMQ, but lower-cost biosimilar insulin is increasingly favoured.<\/p>\n\n\n