A new fast-acting insulin aspart (FiASP) that allows patients to take the treatment immediately before a meal, will be listed on the PBS from 1 June for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.

The product, marketed by Novo Nordisk, has a more rapid onset and shorter duration of insulin action, than previous insulin aspart formulations such as NovoRapid.

According to Diabetes Australia, FiASP starts working in about 2.5 minutes, compared to five to ten minutes with previous insulin aspart products.

Associate Professor Sof Andrikopoulos, CEO of Diabetes Australia, said the new listing would give patients more options because it was absorbed quicker, probably twice as fast its predecessor.

He said that because it could be pre-injected soon before a meal this gave more certainty and avoided situation where a patient may inject but then not eat 20 minutes due to food delays,  risking hypoglycaemia.

“I think it’s good thing it’s so very fast acting – NovoRapid has been the fast-acting insulin of choice and this FiASP is going to continue this trend,” Dr Andrikopoulos told the limbic.

He did warn however that some clinical studies had shown a higher incidence of hypoglycaemia in patients who were not keeping aware of their meals or training.