Tresiba vs Humalog
Both are insulins. Here is how Tresiba and Humalog compare on class, mechanism, dosing, approval and supply.
At a glance
Key differences
- Same class. Both Tresiba and Humalog are insulins, so they work through the same broad mechanism. Differences between them tend to be about dosing, route, how selective they are, and side effects rather than what they target.
- How they are taken. Tresiba is given by the subcutaneous route; Humalog by the intravenous, subcutaneous route.
- Time on the market. Tresiba was first approved by the FDA in 2015, Humalog in 1996. That gives Humalog roughly 19 more years of real-world use and long-term safety data.
- Who markets them. Tresiba is marketed by Novo Nordisk; Humalog by Eli Lilly.
What each one treats
TRESIBA is indicated to improve glycemic control in patients 1 year of age and older with diabetes mellitus. Limitations of Use • Not recommended for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis. TRESIBA is a long-acting human insulin analog indicated to improve glycemic control in patients 1 year of age and older with diabetes mellitus ( 1 ). Limitations of Use: • Not recommended for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis.
HUMALOG is indicated to improve glycemic control in adult and pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus. HUMALOG is a rapid acting human insulin analog indicated to improve glycemic control in adult and pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus. ( 1 )
How each one works
12.1 Mechanism of Action The primary activity of insulin, including TRESIBA, is regulation of glucose metabolism. Insulin and its analogs lower blood glucose by stimulating peripheral glucose uptake, especially by skeletal muscle and fat, and by inhibiting hepatic glucose production. Insulin also inhibits lipolysis and proteolysis, and enhances protein synthesis. TRESIBA forms multi-hexamers when injected into the subcutaneous tissue resulting in a subcutaneous insulin degludec depot. The protracted time action profile of TRESIBA is predominantly due to delayed absorption of insulin degludec from the subcutaneous tissue to the systemic circulation and to a lesser extent due to binding of in…
12.1 Mechanism of Action Regulation of glucose metabolism is the primary activity of insulins and insulin analogs, including insulin lispro. Insulins lower blood glucose by stimulating peripheral glucose uptake by skeletal muscle and fat, and by inhibiting hepatic glucose production. Insulins inhibit lipolysis and proteolysis, and enhance protein synthesis.
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How this page is built
The facts on this page are pulled directly from official U.S. FDA datasets — they are not written from memory. Each field below names the dataset it came from, so you can check it yourself.
- FDA Drug Label (openFDA) ↗ Indications, mechanism of action and pharmacologic class
- Drugs@FDA ↗ First FDA approval date and the company holding the application
- FDA Drug Shortage Database ↗ Current US supply / shortage status
Plain-English summaries and drug-class explainers are written and reviewed by Sreepriya Prasannan (MSc Digital Transformation of Life Sciences (Innopharma Education / Griffith College); MSc & BSc Botany). Data is retrieved automatically from the sources above and cross-checked with AI-assisted verification (Anthropic's Claude) — brand and generic names are matched against the exact FDA product record so that a combination product or a different formulation cannot be mistaken for the drug on this page. An editor reviews the result before publication. We describe this in full in our editorial standards and corrections policy. The FDA data on this page was last retrieved on 6 Oct 2026. How every register is built: methodology · fixes we have made: corrections log.