What is the difference between NovoRapid and Humalog?

Same class. Both NovoRapid and Humalog are insulins, so they work through the same broad mechanism. Differences between them tend to be about dosing, route, how selective they are, and side effects rather than what they target.

Are NovoRapid and Humalog the same drug?

No. NovoRapid is the brand name for Insulin Aspart and Humalog is the brand name for Insulin Lispro. They are different active ingredients.

Who makes NovoRapid and Humalog?

NovoRapid is marketed by Novo Nordisk; Humalog by Eli Lilly. (FDA application holder, per Drugs@FDA.)

NovoRapid vs Humalog: How Insulin Aspart and Insulin Lispro Compare

Reviewed by the Priya Life Science Editorial Team, led by Sreepriya Prasannan

MSc Digital Transformation of Life Sciences (Innopharma Education / Griffith College); MSc & BSc Botany HSE Spark Ignite 2026 — Top 14 finalist

Compiled from official FDA data · Last verified 6 Aug 2026 · Editorial standards

At a glance

NovoRapidInsulin Aspart

HumalogInsulin Lispro

Brand names

NovoRapid / NovoLog

Humalog

Drug class

Rapid-acting insulin

Route

Not listed

Intravenous, Subcutaneous

Marketed by

Novo Nordisk

Eli Lilly

First FDA approval

7 Jun 2000

14 Jun 1996

US shortage

Not listed

Not in shortage

Key differences

Same class. Both NovoRapid and Humalog are insulins, so they work through the same broad mechanism. Differences between them tend to be about dosing, route, how selective they are, and side effects rather than what they target.
Time on the market. NovoRapid was first approved by the FDA in 2000, Humalog in 1996. That gives Humalog roughly 4 more years of real-world use and long-term safety data.
Who markets them. NovoRapid is marketed by Novo Nordisk; Humalog by Eli Lilly.
Same drug, more than one brand. Insulin Aspart is sold as NovoRapid / NovoLog — the same active ingredient marketed under different brand names, typically for different approved uses or doses.

What each one treats

NovoRapidInsulin Aspart

An injectable fast-acting insulin analogue used to control high blood sugar in patients with diabetes.

HumalogInsulin Lispro

HUMALOG is indicated to improve glycemic control in adult and pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus. HUMALOG is a rapid acting human insulin analog indicated to improve glycemic control in adult and pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus. ( 1 )

How each one works

NovoRapidRapid-acting insulin

An injectable fast-acting insulin analogue used to control high blood sugar in patients with diabetes.

HumalogRapid-acting insulin

12.1 Mechanism of Action Regulation of glucose metabolism is the primary activity of insulins and insulin analogs, including insulin lispro. Insulins lower blood glucose by stimulating peripheral glucose uptake by skeletal muscle and fat, and by inhibiting hepatic glucose production. Insulins inhibit lipolysis and proteolysis, and enhance protein synthesis.

Related comparisons

Lantus VS NovoRapid Lantus VS Humalog Tresiba VS NovoRapid Tresiba VS Humalog

NovoRapid profile Humalog profile Insulins All comparisons

This is not a recommendation of one drug over the other.

Which medicine is right for a given person depends on their diagnosis, other conditions, other medicines, kidney and liver function, pregnancy, and cost or reimbursement — none of which this page knows. Two drugs in the same class are not automatically interchangeable. Never start, stop or switch a prescription medicine on the basis of a web page; that decision belongs to you and your clinician or pharmacist.

How this page is built

The facts on this page are pulled directly from official U.S. FDA datasets — they are not written from memory. Each field below names the dataset it came from, so you can check it yourself.

FDA Drug Label (openFDA) ↗ Indications, mechanism of action and pharmacologic class
Drugs@FDA ↗ First FDA approval date and the company holding the application
FDA Drug Shortage Database ↗ Current US supply / shortage status

Plain-English summaries and drug-class explainers are written and reviewed by the Priya Life Science editorial team, led by Sreepriya Prasannan (MSc Digital Transformation of Life Sciences (Innopharma Education / Griffith College); MSc & BSc Botany). Data is retrieved automatically from the sources above and cross-checked with AI-assisted verification (Anthropic's Claude) — brand and generic names are matched against the exact FDA product record so that a combination product or a different formulation cannot be mistaken for the drug on this page. An editor reviews the result before publication. We describe this in full in our editorial standards and corrections policy. The FDA data on this page was last retrieved on 6 Aug 2026.

Please verify before you rely on this. This page is general information for life-science and pharmaceutical professionals. It is not medical advice, and it has not been reviewed by a clinician — our editorial team holds life-science qualifications, not clinical ones. It is not exhaustive and may not reflect the most recent label change. Always check the official prescribing information (US Prescribing Information or EU SmPC) and speak to your doctor or pharmacist before acting on anything here. Drugs in the same class are not automatically interchangeable, and approvals, brand names and indications differ between the US, the EU/Ireland (EMA/HPRA) and other regions. Spotted an error? Tell us — we correct promptly and log it.

NovoRapid vs Humalog