First Chinese-made insulin exported to US
2026-08-04 19:08:45
By Yan Wanqin.
The first batch of insulin glargine injection, independently developed and manufactured by Yichang HEC Changjiang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., began its shipment to the United States on July 27, making it the first Chinese-made insulin product to enter the US market.
The product, sold under the brand name Langlara, received US Food and Drug Administration approval on April 30, becoming the fourth insulin glargine product available in the US and the first from a Chinese manufacturer.
The first batch of insulin glargine injection, independently developed and manufactured by Yichang HEC Changjiang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., began its shipment to the United States on July 27, making it the first Chinese-made insulin product to enter the US market.
The product, sold under the brand name Langlara, received US Food and Drug Administration approval on April 30, becoming the fourth insulin glargine product available in the US and the first from a Chinese manufacturer.
The first batch of insulin glargine injection is loaded onto trucks. Photo by Yang Yihang. The initial shipment totals 1.152 million vials, with multiple deliveries scheduled by mid-August. The company has already secured an initial order of at least 18 million vials from its US partner Lannett, with delivery scheduled within the next 18 months.
As a biologic product, insulin glargine is highly sensitive to temperature and must be kept between 2–8°C throughout transport. To ensure product quality, a multi-tiered cold-chain system has been deployed for the trans-Pacific transport.
The entire shipment is being transported in refrigerated containers with active temperature control, capable of maintaining the required temperature during the roughly two-month ocean voyage, according to Jia Yongfeng, deputy general manager of the company’s insulin plant. In addition, passive insulated covers are placed inside each container to sustain the 2–8°C temperature range for up to five hours in case of power outages or extreme weather, mitigating risks during short-haul transfers, he added.
Employees work at a production facility of the Yichang HEC Changjiang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Photo provided by the company.Real-time GPS monitoring has also been activated. Temperature recorders equipped with GPS functions are placed at critical points inside each insulated box. Location and temperature data are tracked around the clock via a cloud platform, ensuring end-to-end traceability and monitoring throughout the journey.
The shipment will first be transported by road to a port in Shanghai, where it will be loaded onto a ship for the United States. The comprehensive temperature-control and logistics measures are deployed to ensure that the Chinese insulin products can reach the overseas market in their best condition.
Han Jingwen, Yang Yihang contributed to this story.
