Yes, Levemir (insulin detemir) is a long-acting basal insulin analog. It is FDA-approved for once- or twice-daily injection in adults and children with type 1 diabetes and adults with type 2 diabetes who need background insulin to manage blood sugar levels throughout the day.
How Levemir Works as a Basal Insulin
Basal insulin provides a steady, low level of insulin that keeps blood sugar in check between meals and overnight. Levemir fills this role by absorbing slowly from the injection site into the bloodstream, giving it a much longer working window than rapid-acting or short-acting insulins. Its primary job is regulating how your body processes glucose around the clock, not covering the blood sugar spikes that come after eating. For mealtime coverage, most people on Levemir also take a separate rapid-acting insulin with food.
Duration Compared to Other Long-Acting Insulins
Three long-acting insulins are widely available: Levemir (insulin detemir), Lantus/Basaglar/Semglee (insulin glargine), and Tresiba (insulin degludec). Among these, Levemir has the shortest effective duration. Insulin glargine and insulin degludec last long enough that most people inject them once a day. Levemir often requires twice-daily dosing to maintain stable blood sugar control, particularly in type 1 diabetes.
That shorter duration isn’t necessarily a disadvantage. Some people and their doctors prefer the flexibility of splitting the dose, since it allows finer adjustments to daytime and nighttime coverage separately.
Once-Daily vs. Twice-Daily Dosing
Levemir can be prescribed as either a once-daily or twice-daily injection. When taken once daily in the evening, it typically holds blood sugar steady through the night and early morning, but levels can drift upward later the next day. A study published in Diabetes Care found that people on once-daily evening Levemir tended to have lower blood sugar before breakfast but higher readings before dinner, suggesting the effect was wearing off by late afternoon.
Doctors often recommend switching to twice-daily dosing if your A1C stays above 7.5% on a single injection, or if your pre-dinner blood sugar readings consistently run above 120 mg/dL. Adding a morning dose alongside the evening dose smooths out that late-day rise. This is the more common approach for people with type 1 diabetes, while some people with type 2 diabetes do well on a single daily dose.
Who Can Use Levemir
Levemir is approved for adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and for children ages 6 to 17 with type 1 diabetes. It has not been studied in children younger than 6 or in children with type 2 diabetes. Dosing for children follows the same general principles as for adults but requires careful, individualized adjustments based on frequent blood sugar monitoring.
Levemir carries an FDA Pregnancy Category B rating, meaning animal studies showed no increased risk and a clinical trial in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes found no difference in fetal abnormalities or pregnancy outcomes compared to NPH insulin. Insulin needs shift significantly during pregnancy and after delivery, so blood sugar monitoring becomes especially important during those periods.
Storage Requirements
Unopened Levemir should be kept in the refrigerator between 36°F and 46°F. Once you start using a pen or vial, it can stay at room temperature (59°F to 86°F) for up to 28 days. After 28 days at room temperature, the insulin should be discarded even if there’s product remaining. Avoid freezing it or leaving it in direct sunlight or a hot car, as extreme temperatures break down the insulin and reduce its effectiveness.
Levemir Is Being Discontinued
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer, is phasing out Levemir products between 2024 and 2026. Levemir FlexPen and Penfill are expected to be unavailable by December 2026, and no insulin detemir products are expected to remain on the market from 2027 onward. If you currently use Levemir, this is worth discussing with your prescriber well ahead of time so you can transition to an alternative long-acting insulin without gaps in your treatment.