Brand name · Insulin aspart
Novolog: adverse event reports filed with FDA
14,477 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Insulin analog. Also reported as Novolog Solution For Injection.
- 14,477
- reports as suspect product
- 0.1% of all reports · about 644 a year
- 1,576
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 853 in the 12 months before
- 61.8%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 42.7% across the class
- 2.9%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 414 reports · not verified by FDA
Between January 2004 and June 2026, 14,477 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name Novolog (insulin aspart) as a suspect or interacting product. Reports that mention it only as a concomitant medication (36,845) are left out of every figure here.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 1,576 reports listed it, up 85% from 853 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 644 reports a year and 0.1% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 5% of the reports for the insulin analog class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
Reporters most often recorded blood glucose increased (30%), blood glucose decreased (9.5%) and product quality issue (6.1%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 1,052 different terms appear across these reports. Blood glucose increased is recorded in 30% of these reports, a larger share than in the median insulin analog drug (23%).
61.8% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (42.7% across the class); 2.9% record death among the outcomes and 25.8% record hospitalisation, as reported. 84.6% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (22%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Novolog reports recording the termmedian drug in insulin analog
- Blood glucose increasedraised blood sugar reading30%4,342
- Blood glucose decreasedlow blood sugar reading9.5%1,377
- Product quality issuea problem with the product itself6.1%878
- Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected5.7%831
- Visual impairmentreduced vision3.7%539
- Diabetic ketoacidosisa serious complication of diabetes with acid build-up3.7%538
- Glycosylated haemoglobin increaseda raised HbA1c, the long-term sugar measure3.3%475
- Hypoglycaemialow blood sugar3%433
- Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell2.7%393
- Cerebrovascular accidentstroke2.6%372
- Blood glucose fluctuation2.5%369
- Diabetes mellitus inadequate controldiabetes not well controlled2.5%367
- Falla fall2.5%367
- Weight increasedweight gain2.5%360
- Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness2.3%330
- Nauseafeeling sick2.2%318
- Device malfunctionthe device did not work properly2%288
- Weight decreasedweight loss1.9%273
- Hypoglycaemic unconsciousnesspassing out from low blood sugar1.9%270
- Headachehead pain1.9%269
- Fatiguetiredness1.8%258
- Neuropathy peripheralnerve damage in hands or feet1.8%255
- Vomitingbeing sick1.8%255
- Hospitalisationadmission to hospital1.8%254
- Dyspnoeashortness of breath1.7%252
- Myocardial infarctionheart attack1.7%240
- Blindnessloss of sight1.6%228
- Cataractclouding of the eye lens1.5%210
- Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term1.4%197
- Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse1.4%196
Top 30 of 1,052 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 26 drugs in the insulin analog class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 289,293 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 98.6% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Type 2 diabetes mellitus | 3,497 | 24.2% |
| Type 1 diabetes mellitus | 2,178 | 15% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 2,003 | 13.8% |
| Insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes mellitus | 243 | 1.7% |
| Diabetes mellitus insulin-dependent | 152 | 1% |
| Insulin-requiring type ii diabetes mellitus | 143 | 1% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 14,477 reports.
Drugs most often listed in the same reports
| Drug (any role in the report) | Reports | Share of Novolog reports |
|---|---|---|
| Lantus | 2,573 | 17.8% |
| Levemir | 2,474 | 17.1% |
| Tresiba | 1,090 | 7.5% |
| Metformin | 634 | 4.4% |
| Humalog | 628 | 4.3% |
| Victoza | 400 | 2.8% |
| Toujeo | 382 | 2.6% |
| Lantus Solostar | 368 | 2.5% |
| Ozempic | 361 | 2.5% |
| Aspirin | 350 | 2.4% |
Other products listed in reports where Novolog is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.
In context
| Measure | Novolog | Insulin analog | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 14,477 | 289,293 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 5% | 0.1% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 1,576 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 61.8% | 42.7% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 29 | 35 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 258 | 186 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 84.6% | 78.7% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Blood glucose increased 30% | median 23% | 0.9% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the insulin analog class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humalog | brand | 71,174 | 2,312 | 34.4% |
| Lantus Solostar | brand | 45,715 | 4,230 | 24.6% |
| Lantus | brand | 39,128 | 3,718 | 63.8% |
| Insulin glargine | generic | 27,994 | 1,923 | 42.8% |
| Toujeo | brand | 15,491 | 1,332 | 24.7% |
| Levemir | brand | 13,652 | 671 | 54.8% |
| Tresiba | brand | 10,373 | 1,263 | 55.1% |
| Insulin lispro | generic | 8,209 | 1,116 | 45.6% |
| Humalog Mix75/25 | brand | 8,139 | 140 | 23.8% |
| Insulin | generic | 8,135 | 522 | 88.9% |
| Apidra | brand | 3,621 | 86 | 69.2% |
| Insulin aspart | generic | 3,232 | 553 | 88.6% |
| Sterile diluent | generic | 3,221 | 600 | 19.4% |
| Humalog Kwikpen | brand | 3,040 | 169 | 27.5% |
| NovoLog Mix 70/30 | brand | 2,101 | 230 | 65.5% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Novolog reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Novolog?
14,477 reports list Novolog as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 1,576 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 36,845 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Novolog reports?
blood glucose increased (30%), blood glucose decreased (9.5%), product quality issue (6.1%), drug ineffective (5.7%) and visual impairment (3.7%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Novolog was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
61.8% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 2.9% of reports include death and 25.8% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
consumer or non-health professional (84.6%), physician (6.3%) and other health professional (4.2%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Novolog rising?
1,576 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, up 85% from 853 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Novolog was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Novolog?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Novolog as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (36,845) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.