Insulin detemir (Levemir)
Novo Nordisk
What it is
An established basal insulin being phased out. UK, Australian, and Dutch presentations are scheduled to end in December 2026 (with a 1 October 2026 UK National Patient Safety Alert directing transition off Levemir by 30 November 2026); the US brand is already on FDA’s discontinued list. Remaining stock must be checked locally.
Editorial review: .
Most recent recorded citation date: 2026-10-01. Only explicit date metadata is included; an undated citation may be newer. This does not mean every claim was reviewed on that date.
Trial status, labels and access can change between reviews. How we review the evidence · How to read the evidence
Evidence behind this assessment
Key evidence notes. Study results, product eligibility and access answer different questions.
- Who was studied?
- Study populations and analysis groups vary. Product age limits alone do not describe who was studied.
- Benefit or performance
- Consistency: Established labeled basal insulin; no cross-trial superiority assumed.[1]
- Important harms and treatment burden
- Read the safety discussion and original sources. A missing summary does not establish safety.
- Approval and country access
- UK, Australia and Netherlands: December 2026 end dates (UK transition deadline 30 November 2026); local stock unconfirmed. US discontinued.Approval, trial recruitment, local supply and funding are separate. Check the cited label or access source.
- Follow-up and remaining uncertainty
- Read the full discussion and original sources for follow-up duration and study limitations.
This record cites company or conference reports. Those sources may describe interim findings; their source type is shown in the source list.
Editorial score: calculation and evidence
A weighted editorial judgment on a 0–100 scale, not a probability of success or a measured treatment effect. Higher criterion scores mean more favorable assessments.
Default calculation: 45 × 20 + 65 × 25 + 65 × 15 + 70 × 20 + 35 × 10 + 15 × 10 = 5400; divide by total weight 100. Unrounded weighted result: 54.
US brand on FDA discontinued list; UK, Australian, and Dutch presentations scheduled to end December 2026 (UK NatPSA/2026/006/DHSC requires patient transition by 30 November 2026).[2]
Insulins are scored relative to their role peers (see tags: rapid, ultra-rapid, basal, inhaled). A basal insulin's onset score compares it to other basals, not to mealtime insulins.
Editor’s take
Scores are editorial judgments about the evidence and practical features, not measured comparative performance or a probability of success.
The full picture
Detemir is a basal insulin used once or twice daily according to the individual regimen. It is not mealtime insulin and cannot be assumed interchangeable dose-for-dose with another basal product without supervised adjustment.1
The TGA says Australian Levemir FlexPen and Penfill will end in December 2026, with no detemir products expected to remain from 2027. Novo’s Dutch notice likewise lists 31 December 2026. In the UK, the Department of Health and Social Care issued a National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA/2026/006/DHSC) on 1 October 2026 stating that UK stock of Levemir FlexPen and Penfill is projected to be exhausted by the end of December 2026 and directing clinicians to transition all existing patients to an alternative basal insulin by 30 November 2026. US presentations already appear on FDA’s discontinued biologic list.2453
This is a transition and historical-comparator entry, not a new pipeline. Regional phase-out schedules do not mean every pharmacy still has stock. People using it should discuss a clinician-led replacement plan with their care team before their local supply ends.
Sources
- [1]Levemir prescribing information · Regulatory decision
- [2]TGA current insulin supply changes · Regulatory decision
- [3]FDA discontinued biologic product list, April 2026 · Regulatory decision
- [4]
- [5]UK DHSC / MHRA National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA/2026/006/DHSC): Discontinuation of Levemir Penfill and Levemir FlexPen · Regulatory decision · 2026-10-01 — Issued 1 October 2026; UK stock projected to be exhausted by end of December 2026, with all existing patients required to transition to an alternative basal insulin by 30 November 2026.
UK DHSC / MHRA Direct Healthcare Professional Communication & National Patient Safety Alert (
NatPSA/2026/006/DHSC, 1 October 2026): Discontinuation of Levemir Penfill and Levemir FlexPen.