Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection
Insulin detemir (Levemir) is a long-acting insulin given by injection under the skin to improve blood sugar control in adults and children with diabetes mellitus.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 4 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Insulin detemir (Levemir) is a long-acting “background” insulin for adults and children with diabetes that lowers blood sugar by helping muscle and fat take up glucose and slowing the liver's sugar output, a familiar basal option alongside insulin glargine since about 2006. Most people tolerate it well, and apart from the occasional low, mild injection site redness or itching is what they notice. The main risk is low blood sugar, which can come on suddenly, so check your glucose as directed and read the insulin label before every injection to avoid mix-ups. In type 1 diabetes it must be paired with a mealtime insulin.
Clinical pearls
- Never mix it in the same syringe with another insulin or dilute it, and it is not meant for insulin pumps.
- Rotate injection spots within the same area and skip lumpy or dented skin, where insulin absorbs unpredictably.
- Beta-blockers for blood pressure or heart conditions can hide the shaky, pounding-heart warning signs of a low.
- If you also take pioglitazone or another TZD diabetes medicine, report new swelling or breathlessness, possible signs of heart failure.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection, written from its FDA label.
What Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection is used for
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Insulin detemir is a long-acting insulin used for diabetes.
- Levemir improves blood sugar control in adults and children with diabetes mellitus.
- Levemir is not recommended for treating diabetic ketoacidosis.
How Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection works
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Insulin controls how your body handles glucose (sugar). It lowers blood sugar by helping muscle and fat take up glucose and by reducing glucose made by the liver. It also slows the breakdown of fat and protein and supports protein building.
Insulin detemir is a long-acting basal insulin. It is absorbed slowly from the injection site and binds to albumin in the blood, which stretches out its effect.
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection dosage
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Levemir is injected under the skin, once or twice a day. Once-daily doses go with the evening meal or at bedtime. For twice-daily dosing, the second dose goes with the evening meal, at bedtime, or 12 hours after the morning dose.
- Your prescriber individualizes the dose based on your needs and glucose readings.
- Changes in activity, meals, illness, or kidney or liver function may require dose changes.
- People with type 1 diabetes also need a rapid- or short-acting insulin.
- Rotate injection sites within the same area.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Type 1 diabetes mellitus (insulin naïve patients)
- Approximately one-third to one-half of the total daily insulin dose
- The remainder of the total daily insulin dose should be administered as short-acting pre-meal insulin
- As a general rule, 0.2 to 0.4 units of insulin per kilogram of body weight can be used to calculate the initial total daily insulin dose
- Must be used in a regimen with rapid-acting or short-acting insulin
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on oral antidiabetic medications or a GLP-1 receptor agonist (insulin naïve patients)
- 10 units (or 0.1 units/kg to 0.2 units/kg) given once daily in the evening or divided into a twice daily regimen
- Switching from insulin glargine
- The change can be done on a unit-to-unit basis
- Dosage adjustments are recommended to lower the risk of hypoglycemia when switching
- Switching from NPH insulin
- The change can be done on a unit-to-unit basis
- Some patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus may require more LEVEMIR than NPH insulin, as observed in one trial
Read the label’s full dosing text
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION • See Full Prescribing Information for important administration instructions ( 2.1 ). • Inject subcutaneously into the thigh, upper arm, or abdomen ( 2.1 ). • Rotate injection sites to reduce risk of lipodystrophy and localized cutaneous amyloidosis ( 2.1 ). • Individualize and titrate the dose of LEVEMIR based on the patient’s metabolic needs, blood glucose monitoring results, and glycemic control goal ( 2.2 ). • Administer subcutaneously once daily or in divided doses twice daily ( 2.2 ). • See Full Prescribing Information for recommended starting dose in insulin naïve patients and patients already on insulin therapy ( 2.3 , 2.4 ). 2.1 Important Administration Instructions • Always check insulin labels before administration [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )]. • Visually inspect for particulate matter and discoloration. Only use LEVEMIR if the solution appears clear and colorless. • Inject LEVEMIR subcutaneously into the thigh, upper arm, or abdomen. • Rotate injection sites within the same region from one injection to the next to reduce the risk of lipodystrophy and localized cutaneous amyloidosis. Do not inject into areas of lipodystrophy or localized cutaneous amyloidosis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 ), Adverse Reactions ( 6 )] . • During changes to a patient’s insulin regimen, increase the frequency of blood glucose monitoring [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. • Do not dilute or mix LEVEMIR with any other insulin or solution. • Do not administer LEVEMIR intravenously or in an insulin infusion pump. • LEVEMIR FlexPen dials in 1-unit increments. • Use the LEVEMIR FlexPen with caution in patients with visual impairment who may rely on audible clicks to dial their dose. 2.2 General Dosing Instructions • LEVEMIR can be administered by subcutaneous injection once or twice daily. Administer once daily doses with the evening meal or at bedtime. For twice daily dosing, administer the evening dose with the evening meal, at bedtime, or 12 hours after the morning dose. • Individualize and titrate the dose of LEVEMIR based on the patient’s metabolic needs, blood glucose monitoring results, and glycemic control goal.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection side effects
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Low blood sugar is the most common side effect. Others seen in trials include:
Common side effects
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), the most common side effect
- Upper respiratory tract infection
- Headache
- Sore throat (pharyngitis)
- Flu-like illness
- Stomach pain
- Injection site reactions, rash, or itching
When to get medical help
- Get urgent help for severe low blood sugar, which can cause seizures or loss of consciousness.
- Get emergency help for signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as a body-wide reaction or anaphylaxis.
- Call your doctor if you have signs of low potassium, which can be life-threatening if untreated.
- Call your doctor if you notice swelling or signs of heart failure, especially if you also take a thiazolidinedione (TZD) diabetes medicine.
- Tell your doctor if you notice lumps or dents in your skin at injection sites.
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection warnings and precautions
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- Low blood sugar can be severe, cause seizures, and be life-threatening. Symptoms can change over time and may be less noticeable in long-standing diabetes or with beta-blockers.
- Changing your insulin type, strength, brand, or injection site can cause high or low blood sugar. Do this only under close medical supervision.
- Insulin mix-ups happen, so check the label every time.
- Severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can occur.
- Low potassium can be life-threatening.
- Used with TZD medicines, insulin can cause fluid retention and heart failure.
- Never share pens, needles, or syringes.
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection interactions
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Many medicines can change how Levemir affects your blood sugar.
- Other diabetes medicines, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, fibrates, fluoxetine, MAO inhibitors, salicylates, and sulfonamide antibiotics may increase low blood sugar risk.
- Corticosteroids, diuretics, estrogens, oral contraceptives, atypical antipsychotics, protease inhibitors, thyroid hormones, and albuterol-type drugs may weaken its effect.
- Alcohol, beta-blockers, clonidine, and lithium can go either way.
- Beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine can mask low blood sugar warning signs.
- TZD medicines raise the risk of fluid retention and heart failure.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Antidiabetic agents, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blocking agents, disopyramide, fibrates, fluoxetine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, pentoxifylline, pramlintide, salicylates, somatostatin analogs (e.g., octreotide), sulfonamide antibiotics, GLP-1 receptor agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors: May increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Dosage reductions and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required.
- Atypical antipsychotics (e.g., olanzapine and clozapine), corticosteroids, danazol, diuretics, estrogens, glucagon, isoniazid, niacin, oral contraceptives, phenothiazines, progestogens, protease inhibitors, somatropin, sympathomimetic agents (e.g., albuterol, epinephrine, terbutaline), thyroid hormones: May decrease the blood glucose lowering effect of LEVEMIR. Dosage increases and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required.
- Alcohol, beta-blockers, clonidine, and lithium salts: May increase or decrease the blood glucose lowering effect of LEVEMIR. Dosage adjustment and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required.
- Pentamidine: May cause hypoglycemia, which may sometimes be followed by hyperglycemia. Dosage adjustment and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required.
- Beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine (antiadrenergic drugs): May blunt signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia; signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia may be reduced or absent. Increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required.
Read the label’s full interactions text
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Table 6 includes clinically significant drug interactions with LEVEMIR. Table 6: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with LEVEMIR Drugs That May Increase the Risk of Hypoglycemia Drugs: Antidiabetic agents, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blocking agents, disopyramide, fibrates, fluoxetine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, pentoxifylline, pramlintide, salicylates, somatostatin analogs (e.g., octreotide), and sulfonamide antibiotics, GLP-1 receptor agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors. Intervention: Dosage reductions and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when LEVEMIR is co-administered with these drugs. Drugs That May Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of LEVEMIR Drugs: Atypical antipsychotics (e.g., olanzapine and clozapine), corticosteroids, danazol, diuretics, estrogens, glucagon, isoniazid, niacin, oral contraceptives, phenothiazines, progestogens (e.g., in oral contraceptives), protease inhibitors, somatropin, sympathomimetic agents (e.g., albuterol, epinephrine, terbutaline), and thyroid hormones. Intervention: Dosage increases and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when LEVEMIR is co-administered with these drugs. Drugs That May Increase or Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of LEVEMIR Drugs: Alcohol, beta-blockers, clonidine, and lithium salts. Pentamidine may cause hypoglycemia, which may sometimes be followed by hyperglycemia. Intervention: Dosage adjustment and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when LEVEMIR is co-administered with these drugs. Drugs That May Blunt Signs and Symptoms of Hypoglycemia Drugs: Beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine Intervention: Increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when LEVEMIR is co-administered with these drugs. • Drugs that Affect Glucose Metabolism: Adjustment of insulin dosage may be needed.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Drug Interactions section on DailyMed →
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection
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- Do not use during low blood sugar.
- Do not use if allergic to insulin detemir or its ingredients.
- Kidney or liver problems can raise low blood sugar risk.
- Tell your prescriber if you have hypoglycemia unawareness.
- Pregnancy: available data have not shown a clear added risk, and poorly controlled diabetes carries risks for mother and baby.
- Children can use Levemir, and older adults may have higher insulin levels.
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection overdose
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Too much insulin compared with food or activity can cause severe, prolonged, life-threatening low blood sugar and low potassium. Mild lows are usually treated with oral glucose. Severe lows with coma or seizure may need emergency glucagon or intravenous glucose, followed by extra observation and carbohydrate intake.
What Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection does in the body
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Insulin detemir is a long-acting basal insulin with up to 24 hours of action. Its effect is relatively steady with no pronounced peak. Slow absorption from the injection site and binding to albumin make it last longer.
How your body processes Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection
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After injection, blood levels stay fairly steady over 24 hours, peaking at about 6 to 8 hours. Absorption is somewhat slower from the thigh than from the arm or belly. Over 98% of it is bound to albumin in the blood. Its half-life is 5 to 7 hours in type 1 diabetes. Kidney impairment did not change how the body handled it, but liver impairment lowered exposure.
How to store Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection
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Dispense in the original sealed carton with the enclosed Instructions for Use. Store unused (unopened) LEVEMIR in the refrigerator between 36° to 46°F (2° and 8°C). store in the freezer or directly adjacent to the refrigerator cooling element.
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection
242 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 2
- Moderate · 211
- Minor · 29
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Nutrient depletion considerations
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection has been associated with lower levels of 2 nutrients in the clinical literature. This does not mean a deficiency will occur — it means these may be worth discussing with your pharmacist or healthcare provider, especially with long-term use.
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — not medical advice. Do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is Levemir for?
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How and when do I inject it?
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What side effects should I expect?
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What should I do about low blood sugar?
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Can I take other medicines with it?
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Is it safe in pregnancy?
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Is Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection available over the counter?
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When was Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection first available?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection on HelloPharmacist
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection forms and strengths (how it comes)
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Injection
How this form is used
- Levemir is used to improve blood sugar control in adults and children with diabetes mellitus.
- Levemir is not recommended for treating diabetic ketoacidosis.
- Levemir is injected under the skin of the thigh, upper arm, or abdomen, and should not be given into a vein or in an insulin pump.
- Levemir should look clear and colorless, and should not be mixed or diluted with other insulins or solutions.
- Levemir FlexPen dials in 1-unit increments, and should be used with caution by people with visual impairment who rely on audible clicks.
- Levemir FlexPens must never be shared between people, even with a new needle.
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
1 company lists 1 Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection product record with the FDA, mostly as injection; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 2005.
How widely Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection ranks #909 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 43% of them.
Utilization by Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
insulin detemir 100 UNT/ML Injectable Solution Most dispensed
Summed across the 1 of 3 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 484322
3 ML insulin detemir 100 UNT/ML Pen Injector
Summed across the 1 of 5 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 847239
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 2 of 8 listed Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Injection | ||||
| 100 [IU]/mL | Subcutaneous | A-S Medication Solutions | BLA | View NDC → |
Showing 1 of 1 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 1 Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection NDCs →
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection FDA approval history
How Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Insulin Detemir recalls since July 2021.
✅No Insulin Detemir recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 139825 2 dose forms · 2 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Injectable Solution RxCUI 484321In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 100 UNT/MLRxCUI 484322 -
Dose form (SCDF) Pen Injector RxCUI 1654190In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 3 ML insulin detemir 100 UNT/MLRxCUI 847239
Look up RxCUI 139825 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection supply and shortage status
Whether Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
Who makes Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection: manufacturers and labelers
One company lists Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are A-S Medication Solutions. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection drug class (RxNorm)
Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection belongs to the Insulin Analog class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Insulin Detemir (rDNA Origin) Injection page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Novo Nordisk is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →