According to a new Japanese study published in Metabolism Open switching from conventional rapid-acting insulin (RAA) to ultra-rapid lispro (URLi, Lyumjev®) can significantly improve both quality of life (QOL) and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). 

This prospective study enrolled 12 patients, with 11 completing the trial. Participants had previously used RAA for at least six months before switching to URLi, which can be injected immediately before or even after meals, unlike conventional RAA which requires pre-meal dosing. At 12–15 weeks, patients reported a significant improvement in their insulin therapy-related QOL scores (+15.1 points, p < 0.01). Improvements were especially strong in areas related to injection timing, flexibility while eating out, and reduced anxiety about hypoglycemia.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data also showed better glycemic stability. Time-in-range (70–180 mg/dL) increased by 8.3%, while time-above-range decreased by 7.7%. Measures of glycemic variability, including mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE), also improved. Importantly, no significant increase in time-below-range or nocturnal hypoglycemia was observed.
HbA1c levels and body weight remained stable. This can be accounted for by the short study period and older average patient age.

This study demonstrated how URLi offers practical benefits by reducing the burden of meal-time insulin injections and improving postprandial glucose management. Although larger, longer-term studies are needed, the findings support URLi as a flexible and effective option for improving both glycemic outcomes and patient satisfaction.