Face Very Low Blood Sugar With Confidence

Know the signs and symptoms of very low blood sugar and be ready to treat it at a moment’s notice

What Is Severe Low Blood Sugar?

A severe low blood sugar event is a potentially life-threatening emergency that requires immediate attention¹

If low blood sugar is left untreated, it can progress to severe low blood sugar.

Severe low blood sugar occurs when your blood sugar — the main source of fuel for the body and brain — gets too low for bodily functions to operate properly and requires help to recover.

Severe low blood sugar can be unpredictable. That’s why it’s important to:

Know the signs and symptoms
Have a treatment plan that includes ready-to-use glucagon so that you and those around you can treat very low blood sugar with confidence.

Signs and Symptoms

Severe low blood sugar can progress to loss of consciousness, seizure, coma or death. In addition to checking your blood sugar levels, learn the possible signs and symptoms of a low blood sugar emergency and ensure everyone around you knows what to do in case they need to help you.

Shakiness

Dizziness

Confusion

Combative behavior

Difficulty speaking

Fatigue

Passing out

Seizure

Who’s at risk?

Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you could be at increased risk for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has established factors that can increase your risk of developing hypoglycemia²:

You take medications known to cause low blood sugar like insulin or sulfonylureas
Longer duration of diabetes
Older age
Cognitive impairment (problems with memory or thinking)
Consuming alcohol

Hypoglycemia unawareness (do not feel symptoms of low blood sugar)
Irregular mealtimes
Use of many different types of medications
History of a severe low blood sugar event

How To Treat a Severe Low Blood Sugar Event

Work with your healthcare provider to create a plan for managing low blood sugar

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) requires immediate attention. For mild hypoglycemia (blood sugar below 70 mg/dL) or moderate hypoglycemia (blood sugar below 54 mg/dL), it is recommended to treat promptly with 15 grams of oral fast-acting carbohydrates (e.g., glucose tablets or juice).³ Then, retest in 15 minutes and repeat the process until your target blood sugar level is reached.

But there may be times when you need glucagon to treat a severe low. Because glucagon can rapidly reverse severe hypoglycemia, it’s viewed as one of the primary treatments for very low blood sugar.^1,4 It can be used if you⁵:

Have tried correcting with food or drink and it’s not working
Are unable to swallow safely
Feel like passing out
Pass out or have a seizure

Ready-To-Use Glucagon Can Make All the Difference

You need a safety net that can be used the moment it’s needed during a low blood sugar emergency. That’s why the glucagon formulation you decide on with your healthcare provider matters.

If you take insulin or certain diabetes pills known to cause low blood sugar and don’t have ready-to-use glucagon in your treatment plan, talk to your healthcare provider right away.

Here’s why:

1. Guidelines recommend it.^1,3

The American Diabetes Association and Endocrine Society say that the use of insulin or certain diabetes pills known to cause low blood sugar puts you at an increased risk of hypoglycemia and recommend that you have a prescription for glucagon.

2. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan.

Managing blood sugar levels is challenging, no matter how dedicated you are to your treatment plan. Severe low blood sugar can happen unexpectedly — so it’s critical to be ready to treat it.

3. Simple administration matters.

Glucagon is typically administered in an emergency, so ease of use is important.¹ Ready-to-use glucagon enables simpler administration during low blood sugar emergencies.^1,3

Gvoke HypoPen^® Is the Ready-to-Use Rescue Pen You Need in Your Toolkit

You’ve likely heard about rescue pens for severe allergic reactions. Did you know the same type of tool is available for low blood sugar emergencies?

Gvoke HypoPen is a ready-to-use glucagon rescue pen for very low blood sugar. It is 2 simple steps to administer⁵— in fact, it was used correctly by 99% of people in a study designed to simulate an emergency,⁶ and you can even self-administer it in certain cases.

Learn more about Gvoke HypoPen

*Demonstration device shown.

REFERENCES:

1. McCall AL, Lieb DC, Gianchandani R, et al. Management of individuals with diabetes at high risk for hypoglycemia: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023;108(3):529-562.doi:10.1210/clinem/dgac596
2. ElSayed NA, Aleppo G, Aroda VR, et al. 4. Comprehensive Medical Evaluation and Assessment of Comorbidities: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2023 [published correction appears in Diabetes Care. 2023 Jun 25;:]. Diabetes Care. 2023;46(Suppl 1):S49-S67. doi:10.2337/dc23-S004
3. ElSayed NA, Aleppo G, Aroda VR, et al. 6. Glycemic Targets: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2023. Diabetes Care. 2023;46(Suppl 1):S97-S110. doi:10.2337/dc23-S006
4. Treatment of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated May 15, 2024. Accessed June 21, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/treatment/treatment-low-blood-sugar-hypoglycemia.html
5. Gvoke HypoPen [instructions for use]. Chicago, IL: Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
6. Valentine V, Newswanger B, Prestrelski S, Andre AD, Garibaldi M. Human Factors Usability and Validation Studies of a Glucagon Autoinjector in a Simulated Severe Hypoglycemia Rescue Situation. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2019;21(9):522-530. doi:10.1089/dia.2019.0148

Indication and Important Safety Information⁠—⁠Read More

INDICATION AND SAFETY SUMMARY

GVOKE is a prescription medicine used to treat very low blood sugar (severe hypoglycemia) in adults and kids with diabetes ages 2 years and above. It is not known if GVOKE is safe and effective in children under 2 years of age.

WARNINGS

Do not use GVOKE if:

you have a tumor in the gland on top of your kidneys (adrenal gland), called a pheochromocytoma.
you have a tumor in your pancreas called an insulinoma.
you are allergic to glucagon or any inactive ingredient in GVOKE.

GVOKE MAY CAUSE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING:

High blood pressure
GVOKE can cause high blood pressure in certain people with tumors in their adrenal glands.

Low blood sugar
GVOKE can cause low blood sugar in certain people with tumors in their pancreas called insulinomas by making too much insulin in their bodies.

Serious allergic reaction
Call your doctor or get medical help right away if you have a serious allergic reaction including:

rash
difficulty breathing
low blood pressure

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS

The most common side effects of GVOKE in adults include:

nausea
vomiting
swelling at the injection site
headache

The most common side effects of GVOKE in children include:

nausea
low blood sugar
high blood sugar
vomiting
abdominal pain
headache
pain or redness at the injection site
itching

These are not all the possible side effects of GVOKE. For more information, ask your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

BEFORE USING

Before using GVOKE, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:

have adrenal gland problems
have a tumor in your pancreas
have not had food or water for a long time (prolonged fasting or starvation)
have low blood sugar that does not go away (chronic hypoglycemia)
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if GVOKE passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you can use GVOKE while breastfeeding.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

HOW TO USE

Read the detailed Instructions for Use that come with GVOKE.
Use GVOKE exactly how your healthcare provider tells you to use it
Make sure your relatives, close friends, and caregivers know where you store GVOKE and how to use it the right way before you need their help.
Act quickly. Having very low blood sugar for a period of time may be harmful.
Your healthcare provider will tell you how and when to use GVOKE.
After giving GVOKE, your caregiver should call for emergency medical help right away.
If you do not respond after 15 minutes, your caregiver may give you another dose, if available. Tell your healthcare provider each time you use GVOKE. Low blood sugar may happen again after receiving an injection of GVOKE. Your diabetes medicine may need to be changed.

HOW TO STORE

Keep GVOKE pre-filled syringe and HypoPen in sealed foil pouch until time of use.
Keep GVOKE kit vial and pouched syringe together in original carton until time of use.
Store GVOKE at temperatures between 68°F and 77°F.
Do not keep it in the refrigerator or let it freeze.

Keep GVOKE and all medicines out of the reach of children.

For more information, call 1-877-937-4737 or go to www.GvokeGlucagon.com.

Please see the Full Prescribing Information for Gvoke

Gvoke®, Gvoke HypoPen®, Xeris Pharmaceuticals®, the droplet design, and their associated logos are trademarks of Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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