New glucagon guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA)

Do You Have the Right Tools to Treat Very Low Blood Sugar?

ADA recommends ready-to-use glucagon for those at high risk for hypoglycemia

Lauren Barr

February 17, 2024

The American Diabetes Association recently updated its guidelines for healthcare professionals. If you or your loved one takes medications that lower your blood sugar, such as insulin or insulin secretagogues (sulfonylureas, meglitinides), it’s important to be aware of the updated guidelines related to hypoglycemia and ready-to-use glucagon. Being informed about the latest guidance will help you engage with your healthcare provider to understand your risk, identify the necessary tools for your diabetes toolkit, and determine when to use them so that you can keep yourself or your loved one safe.

Why are the ADA guidelines important?

The ADA Standards of Care are guidelines for healthcare professionals made by diabetes experts. They give recommendations on how to manage diabetes, and every year, these guidelines are updated with new research and insights to help people with diabetes, their loved ones, and doctors manage diabetes in the best way possible.

2024 ADA Guidelines: What’s New?

The ADA makes it clear that individuals taking insulin or insulin secretagogues (i.e., sulfonylureas, meglitinides) are at risk for experiencing low blood sugar. While these medicines are important for managing blood sugar levels, they can sometimes make your blood sugar levels go too low. So, the ADA says¹:

You or your loved one should have a prescription for ready-to-use glucagon if taking:
- Insulin
- Sulfonylureas or meglitinides and have major risk factors such as recent blood sugar < 54 mg/dL, or low blood sugar unawareness. Discuss low blood sugar risk factors with your healthcare provider.

Those in close contact with you or your loved one should learn where the ready-to-use glucagon is kept, how to use it, and when it is needed.
You or your loved one should discuss low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) management during your first appointment, follow-up visits, and yearly check-ups with your doctor.

Why Ready-to-Use Glucagon Must Be in Your Diabetes Toolkit

Very low blood sugar can happen suddenly, and you need to act fast when it does. That’s where ready-to-use glucagon like Gvoke HypoPen® comes in. Gvoke HypoPen is the ready-to-use glucagon rescue pen anyone can administer^2,3 with confidence.

Simple to administer. Anyone can administer in two simple steps,^2,4 including you in certain situations.
Ready to Use. It’s premixed and ready to go at a moment’s notice.³
Proven to work. Brings very low blood sugar back up quickly and safely.^3*

Think of it as your safety net for when it matters most.

When to Use Ready-to-Use Glucagon

Because glucagon can rapidly reverse very low blood sugar, it’s viewed as one of the primary treatments for it.⁵

You can use ready-to-use glucagon when:

Correcting with food or drink isn’t working.
You are unable to swallow safely.
You feel like passing out.
You pass out or have a seizure.

Talk to Your Doctor

Given the ADA’s latest guideline updates, having ready-to-use glucagon is no longer just a suggestion, but an essential tool for patients on insulin or at high risk for low blood sugar. You deserve to feel equipped, supported, and empowered in your diabetes management by having a safety net for when you need it most.

Talk to your doctor today about risk factors for very low blood sugar and including Gvoke HypoPen® in your diabetes toolkit to align with the latest guidance!

*In two clinical studies in adults, blood sugar levels that were less than 50 mg/dL increased to above 70 mg/dL or increased by at least 20 mg/dL within 13.8 minutes on average.

INDICATION AND SAFETY SUMMARY

GVOKE is a prescription medicine used to treat very low blood sugar (severe hypoglycemia) in adults and kids with diabetes ages 2 years and above. It is not known if GVOKE is safe and effective in children under 2 years of age.

WARNINGS

Do not use GVOKE if:

you have a tumor in the gland on top of your kidneys (adrenal gland), called a pheochromocytoma.
you have a tumor in your pancreas called an insulinoma.
you are allergic to glucagon or any inactive ingredient in GVOKE.

GVOKE MAY CAUSE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING:

High blood pressure
GVOKE can cause high blood pressure in certain people with tumors in their adrenal glands.

Low blood sugar
GVOKE can cause low blood sugar in certain people with tumors in their pancreas called insulinomas by making too much insulin in their bodies.

Serious allergic reaction
Call your doctor or get medical help right away if you have a serious allergic reaction including:

rash
difficulty breathing
low blood pressure

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS

The most common side effects of GVOKE in adults include:

nausea
vomiting
swelling at the injection site
headache

The most common side effects of GVOKE in children include:

nausea
low blood sugar
high blood sugar
vomiting
abdominal pain
headache
pain or redness at the injection site
itching

These are not all the possible side effects of GVOKE. For more information, ask your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

BEFORE USING

Before using GVOKE, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:

have adrenal gland problems
have a tumor in your pancreas
have not had food or water for a long time (prolonged fasting or starvation)
have low blood sugar that does not go away (chronic hypoglycemia)
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if GVOKE passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you can use GVOKE while breastfeeding.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

HOW TO USE

Read the detailed Instructions for Use that come with GVOKE.
Use GVOKE exactly how your healthcare provider tells you to use it
Make sure your relatives, close friends, and caregivers know where you store GVOKE and how to use it the right way before you need their help.
Act quickly. Having very low blood sugar for a period of time may be harmful.
Your healthcare provider will tell you how and when to use GVOKE.
After giving GVOKE, your caregiver should call for emergency medical help right away.
If you do not respond after 15 minutes, your caregiver may give you another dose, if available. Tell your healthcare provider each time you use GVOKE. Low blood sugar may happen again after receiving an injection of GVOKE. Your diabetes medicine may need to be changed.

HOW TO STORE

Keep GVOKE pre-filled syringe and HypoPen in sealed foil pouch until time of use.
Keep GVOKE kit vial and pouched syringe together in original carton until time of use.
Store GVOKE at temperatures between 68°F and 77°F.
Do not keep it in the refrigerator or let it freeze.

Keep GVOKE and all medicines out of the reach of children.

For more information, call 1-877-937-4737 or go to www.GvokeGlucagon.com.

Please see the Full Prescribing Information for Gvoke