INS and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A worldwide diabetes epidemic continues to unfold; according to the International Diabetes Federation, in 2017 there were 425 million people affected by diabetes worldwide, with most having type 2 diabetes (T2D).1 Due to the progressive nature of T2D, most patients will eventually require insulin therapy.2, 3 Both international and Chinese treatment guidelines recommend the initiation of basal insulin (BI) for patients unable to achieve glycemic targets with one to two oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs).4, 5, 6