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Toujeo SoloStar

Generic name: insulin glargineIN-su-lin-GLAR-gine ]
Drug class: Insulin

Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Last updated on Aug 21, 2023.

What is Toujeo?

Toujeo is a man-made form of a hormone that is produced in the body. Insulin is a hormone that works by lowering levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Insulin glargine is a long-acting insulin that starts to work several hours after injection and keeps working evenly for 24 hours.

Toujeo is used to improve blood sugar control in adults and children who are 6 years of age and older with diabetes mellitus.

Toujeo is not for use to treat diabetic ketoacidosis.

Toujeo is available in two different single-patient-use prefilled pen presentations:

Warnings

Toujeo contains 3 times as much insulin per milliliter (mL) as regular insulin.

You should not use Toujeo if you are having an episode of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), or if you are in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment).

Never share an injection pen with another person, even if the needle has been changed.

Sharing injection pens can allow disease such as hepatitis or HIV to pass from one person to another.

Toujeo is only part of a complete program of treatment that may also include diet, exercise, weight control, foot care, eye care, dental care, and testing your blood sugar. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely. Changing any of these factors can affect your blood sugar levels.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use Toujeo if you are allergic to insulin, or if you are having an episode of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment).

Toujeo is not approved for use by anyone younger than 6 years old, and some brands are for use only in adults. Do not use this medicine to treat type 2 diabetes in a child of any age.

To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

Tell your doctor if you also take pioglitazone or rosiglitazone (sometimes contained in combinations with glimepiride or metformin). Taking certain oral diabetes medicines while you are using insulin may increase your risk of serious heart problems.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Follow your doctor's instructions about using this medicine if you are pregnant or you become pregnant. Controlling diabetes is very important during pregnancy.

How should I use Toujeo SoloStar?

Use Toujeo exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.

Toujeo SoloStar is injected under the skin, usually once per day at the same time of day.

When treating type 1 diabetes, use your short-acting insulin before meals as directed by your doctor.

Toujeo SoloStar must not be given with an insulin pump, or mixed with other insulins. Do not inject this medicine into a vein or a muscle.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you don't understand how to use an injection.

Prepare an injection only when you are ready to give it. Call your pharmacist if the medicine looks cloudy, has changed colors, or has particles in it.

Your healthcare provider will show you where to inject Toujeo SoloStar. Do not inject into the same place two times in a row.

Avoid injecting into skin that is damaged, tender, bruised, pitted, thickened, scaly, or has a scar or hard lump.

Toujeo contains 300 units of insulin glargine per milliliter (mL), which is 3 times stronger than brands that contain 100 units per mL.

Your dose needs may change if you switch to a different brand, strength, or form of this medicine. Avoid medication errors by using only the medicine your doctor prescribes.

If you use an injection pen, use only the injection pen that comes with Toujeo SoloStar. Attach a new needle before each use. Do not transfer the insulin from the pen into a syringe.

Never share an injection pen, even if you changed the needle. Sharing these devices can pass infections from person to person.

Blood sugar can be affected by stress, illness, surgery, exercise, alcohol use, or skipping meals.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can make you feel very hungry, dizzy, irritable, or shaky. To quickly treat hypoglycemia, eat or drink hard candy, crackers, raisins, fruit juice, or non-diet soda. Your doctor may prescribe glucagon injection in case of severe hypoglycemia.

Tell your doctor if you have frequent symptoms of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) such as increased thirst or urination. Ask your doctor before changing your medication dosage.

Keep this medicine in its original container protected from heat and light. Do not freeze insulin or store it near the cooling element in a refrigerator. Throw away any insulin that has been frozen.

Storing unopened (not in use) Toujeo SoloStar:

Storing opened (in use) Toujeo SoloStar:

Do not store an injection pen with the needle attached. Do not reuse a needle or syringe. Place them in a puncture-proof "sharps" container and dispose of it following state or local laws. Keep out of the reach of children and pets.

Wear a medical alert tag or carry an ID card to let others know you have diabetes.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Call your doctor for instructions if you miss a dose. Do not use more than one dose in a 24-hour period unless your doctor tells you to.

Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Insulin overdose can cause severe hypoglycemia. Symptoms include drowsiness, confusion, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in your mouth, trouble speaking, muscle weakness, clumsy or jerky movements, seizure (convulsions), or loss of consciousness.

What should I avoid while using Toujeo?

Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how Toujeo will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.

Avoid medication errors by always checking the medicine label before injecting your insulin.

Avoid drinking alcohol or using medicines that contain alcohol. It may interfere with your diabetes treatment.

Toujeo side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any signs of an allergic reaction to Toujeo: redness or swelling where an injection was given, itchy skin rash over the entire body, trouble breathing, fast heartbeats, feeling like you might pass out, or swelling in your tongue or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

Common Toujeo side effects may include:

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect Toujeo?

Many drugs can affect your blood sugar and may also interact with insulin glargine. Some medicines can increase or decrease the effects of insulin. Some drugs can also cause you to have fewer symptoms of hypoglycemia, making it harder to tell when your blood sugar is low. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use. Not all possible interactions are listed here.

Popular FAQ

Both Toujeo and Lantus are long-acting insulins that contain glargine, however Toujeo is more concentrated containing 300 units per mL of glargine, compared to Lantus’s 100 units per mL. When you take this into account the cost of Toujeo and Lantus works out approximately the same (real cost value $30.76/mL for Toujeo compared with $30.23/mL for Lantus). Continue reading

Injecting insulin is not difficult, but it does take a bit of practice. There are three main sites where insulin can be injected: the stomach area except for a 2-inch circle around your navel, and the soft part of your waist, but not anywhere near your spine; the top and outer part of your thighs, but not your inner thighs or anywhere close to your knee; the outer back of your upper arm where there is a pocket of fatty tissue. Continue reading

Toujeo may be given at any time of the day; however, once you have chosen a time, it is best to inject Toujeo within three hours of that time every day. If needed, you can change the time you administer Toujeo, just talk to your doctor about this. Continue reading

Insulins are usually grouped as fast-acting, intermediate-acting, or long-acting. Within these groups, they can be further classified as human insulin and human insulin analogs. An insulin analog is a human insulin that has one or two amino acids changed which affects how quickly it is absorbed after injection and how fast or slow it acts. Insulin analogs are usually given within 15 minutes of a meal or at the same time as food. Continue reading

Toujeo can stay out of the refrigerator for up to 56 days (8 weeks) according to the prescribing information written on 03/2023. If Toujeo if left out the refrigerator for more than 20 or 30 minutes, it should not be put back into the refrigerator. Continue reading

Soliqua is a combination of insulin glargine plus lixisenatide, and Lantus only contains insulin glargine. Both are once-daily injections that are given under the skin (subcutaneously), but Soliqua can only be used in adults with type 2 diabetes whereas Lantus may be used to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults and children over the age of six years. Both are made by Sanofi-Aventis. Continue reading

Even though Toujeo is usually given once a day, some people may experience better blood sugar control if the dose is split and given twice a day (every 12 hours). Continue reading

There are three pens in a box of Toujeo Solostar. There are two pens in a box of Toujeo Max Solostar. Continue reading

Both Soliqua and Xultophy combine a long-acting insulin with a GLP-1 agonist: Xultopy brings together Tresiba (insulin degludec) and Victoza (liraglutide), while Soliqua combines Lantus (insulin glargine) with Adlyxin (lixisenatide). When used with diet and exercise for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, these agents can help you control blood sugar, insulin levels, and digestion and may help you lose weight. Continue reading

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Further information

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use Toujeo only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.