[5] Common side effects include skin irritation at the site of injection, hypoglycemia, hypokalemia, and lipodystrophy.

[8] Through recombinant DNA technology, the final lysine and proline residues on the C-terminal end of the B-chain are reversed.

[10] This switch of amino acids mimics Insulin-like growth factor 1 which also has lysine (K) and proline (P) in that order at positions 28 and 29.

[14] Insulin lispro (brand name Humalog) was granted marketing authorization in the European Union in April 1996,[3] and it was approved for use in the United States in June 1996.

[17][18][19] Insulin lispro Sanofi was granted marketing authorization as a biosimilar in the European Union in July 2017.

[27] The chief executive said that this was a contribution "to fix the problem of high out-of-pocket costs for Americans living with chronic conditions", but Patients for Affordable Drugs Now said it was just a public relations move, as "other countries pay $20 for a vial of insulin.