Humulin became the first recombinant human insulin approved for medical use.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Humulin in 1982. Eli Lilly produced it using genetically modified bacteria carrying the human insulin gene, with technology developed in collaboration with Genentech. The product was chemically identical to human insulin rather than being extracted from pig or cow pancreases.
Before recombinant insulin, most insulin came from animal sources. Although effective, animal insulin could cause allergic reactions or supply concerns, and its amino-acid sequence differed slightly from human insulin. Recombinant production offered a consistent, scalable source.
Humulin did not represent the discovery of insulin or the first insulin treatment. Insulin had been used clinically since 1922. Instead, its importance was manufacturing: genetic engineering made a human protein as a commercial medicine and helped launch modern biotechnology pharmaceuticals.