Glucagon plays a key role in glucose metabolism and homeostasis. Glucagon regulates blood glucose by increasing gluconeogenesis and decreasing glycolysis. A counterregulatory hormone of insulin, glucagon raises plasma glucose levels in response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Glucagon plays an important role in initiating and maintaining hyperglycemic conditions in diabetes. Glucagon is available under the names Glucagon (Eli Lilly) and GlucaGen or Glucagon Novo Nordisk (Novo Nordisk), which are used to treat severe hypoglycemia in insulin-dependent diabetics.