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Does Soliqua come with pen needles?

Medically reviewed by Leigh Ann Anderson, PharmD. Last updated on Aug 29, 2023.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

No, the pen needles are not included in your box of Soliqua, you will need to buy them separately. If you are not sure which needles to use, ask your doctor or pharmacist before you buy them. You should only use needles that are compatible with your Soliqua 100/33 prefilled pen.

Soliqua 100/33 (insulin glargine and lixisenatide) is an injectable medicine used for type 2 diabetes and combines a long-acting insulin with a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist. One box of Soliqua contains 5 Solostar prefilled pens of 3 mL each. Soliqua is delivered as a subcutaneous injection just under the skin.

What needles are used with Soliqua and what size?

Always ask your medical provider which needle size you should use based on your dose, comfort level and cost considerations. A shorter and thinner needle is usually effective for all body types and may be less painful.

  • Pen needles come in different lengths, usually between 4 millimeters (mm) and 12.7 mm. Shorter needles lessen the chance you’ll inject to the muscle.
  • The gauge (g) is the thickness of the needle and ranges from 29 to 32 g. Needles with higher gauges are thinner and usually less painful.
  • For example, a commonly used pen needle size in the U.S. is a 4 mm x 32 gauge, but you may need a different size, so always ask your doctor or pharmacist.

A common manufacturer of needles in the US is Becton Dickenson (BD), but other options, including store brands, are available. Most brands of pen needles will fit any of the insulin pens. Carefully read the instructions that come with your prefilled pen, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to show you how to use it.

Do not reuse or share needles and do not store your pen with the needle attached. Throw away the used pen needle into a needle-safe, sharps container.

Learn more: How many units are in a Soliqua pen?

This is not all the information you need to know about Soliqua 100/33 for safe and effective use. Review the full Soliqua 100/33 information here, and discuss this information with your doctor or other health care provider.

Related questions

References
  • Soliqua 100/33 [product information]. Nov. 2019. Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC Bridgewater, NJ. Accessed September 8, 2021 at http://products.sanofi.us/soliqua100-33/Soliqua100-33.pdf
  • Soliqua (online). August 2019. Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC Accessed September 8, 2021 at https://www.soliqua100-33.com/how-to-use

Read next

Does Soliqua cause weight gain?

Weight gain is not a common side effect for Soliqua (insulin glargine/lixisenatide). In some clinical studies, patients using Soliqua had an average weight loss of 0.1 and 0.3 kg (0.2 and 0.7 lb). Continue reading

How long does it take for Soliqua to work?

Soliqua 100/33 is a combination of insulin glargine, a long-acting insulin, and lixisenatide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist. Soliqua starts to lower levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood two hours after injection and keeps working evenly for 20 to 24 hours in most patients. Continue reading

How many units are in a Soliqua pen?

The Soliqua 100/33 pen injector contains 100 units of insulin glargine per one milliliter (mL). It also contains 33 mcg of lixisenatide per mL. Each Soliqua pen holds a total of 3 mL, so there is a total of 300 units of insulin glargine per pen. The maximum dose of Soliqua 100/33 is 60 units daily. Continue reading

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