Humulin
Noun: A pharmaceutical form of insulin produced through recombinant DNA technology, creating a substance identical to human insulin. It is used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, particularly for patients who have adverse reactions to insulin derived from bovine (beef) or porcine (pork) sources.
"Humulin" is a proper noun and trademark. It is used specifically to refer to this brand of biosynthetic human insulin. * The doctor switched her prescription from pork insulin to Humulin. * Humulin R is a rapid-acting insulin formulation.
The term is often used in medical and patient contexts to distinguish this type of insulin from animal-derived insulins or other analog insulins. It is typically followed by a letter (e.g., N, R, 70/30) to designate its specific formulation and duration of action.
- Insulin (n): The general term for the hormone used to treat diabetes.
- Recombinant insulin (n): A descriptive term for insulin produced via genetic engineering, of which Humulin is an example.
- Biosynthetic human insulin
- Recombinant human insulin
Note: While these are descriptive synonyms, "Humulin" itself is a brand name.
- a form of insulin (trade name Humulin) made from recombinant DNA that is identical to human insulin; used to treat diabetics who are allergic to preparations made from beef or pork insulin