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. Here, INS is linked to diabetes mellitus.