| Type | Onset (hours) | Peak (hours) | Duration (hours) | Comments |
| Ultra-rapid-acting | ||||
| Faster aspart* | 0.1 to 0.2 | 1 to 3 | 3 to 5 | Duration of action may be shorter. |
| Rapid-acting | ||||
| Lispro/aspart/glulisine | 0.15 to 0.35 | 1 to 3 | 3 to 5 | |
| Short-acting | ||||
| Regular | 0.5 to 1 | 2 to 4 | 5 to 8 | Longer action if larger dose (mass action effect). |
| Intermediate-acting | ||||
| NPH | 2 to 4 | 4 to 12 | 12 to 24 | Peak and duration quite variable. |
| NPL | Approximately 2 | 6 | 15 | Activity profile similar to NPH; can be mixed with insulin lispro. Not available in United States. |
| Basal long-acting | ||||
| Glargine Biosimilar glargine is approved in some countries | 2 to 4 | 8 to 12 (not pronounced) | 22 to 24 | Half-life is shorter in some patients, requiring division of the daily dose into 2 injections per day. Cannot be mixed with other insulins, because this alters pharmacokinetics. Insulin forms crystals at in vivo pH. |
| Detemir | 1 to 2 | 4 to 7 (not pronounced) | 20 to 24 | Duration of action is dose dependent. At higher doses (≥0.8 units/kg), mean duration of action is longer and less variable (22 to 23 hours). At lower doses, mean duration of action is shorter and twice-daily injections are often needed. Cannot be mixed with other insulins, because this alters pharmacokinetics. |
| Glargine U300 | 2 to 6 | None | 30 to 36 | Cannot be mixed with other insulins, because this alters pharmacokinetics. |
| Degludec | 0.5 to 1.5 | None | >42 | Less day-to-day variation in glucose-lowering effect at steady state (after 2 to 3 days' use) relative to glargine and detemir. Can be mixed with insulin aspart; coformulation with aspart available in some countries. |
