§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the risks from man-made insulin; and if he will make a statement. [R] [121777]
§ Ms StuartHuman (genetically engineered) insulin underwent a rigorous assessment of clinical efficacy and safety at the time of its first licensing in the United Kingdom in 1982.
Following its introduction, there was much debate about a possible loss of the warning signs of a low blood glucose with human insulin. As a result, a considerable number of scientific studies have been performed comparing animal and human insulin.
The Committee on Safety of Medicine, has reviewed the safety of human insulin on several occasions since its introduction. During the review process there has been consultation with experts in the field of diabetes as well as with the British Diabetic Association. The Committee has concluded that although some patients have experienced problems on transferring to human insulins and are better suited to animal insulins, there is no evidence of a safety problem specific to human insulin.
The Medicines Control Agency is responsible for the continuous monitoring of the safety of all licensed medicines and the safety of human insulin is therefore kept under continuous review.