Mumbai/Delhi: In a significant advancement for diabetes care, Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has launched Awiqli, the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin, in India for adults living with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The launch is expected to simplify insulin therapy by reducing the number of injections from 365 a year to just 52 for eligible patients, reported India Today.
Awiqli, also known as insulin icodec, is designed to provide steady background insulin support throughout the week. Unlike conventional basal insulin that requires daily administration, the new formulation is injected once every week on the same day using a pre-filled FlexTouch pen. The therapy is intended for adults who require basal insulin as part of their diabetes management.
Speaking on the launch, Novo Nordisk India managing director Vikrant Shrotriya described Awiqli as a major step in making insulin therapy simpler and more accessible for people with diabetes. The company said the once-weekly regimen represents a significant shift in diabetes management rather than an incremental improvement in insulin therapy.
India becomes the seventh country globally to introduce the once-weekly insulin therapy. Novo Nordisk said the product will be available in two pen formats containing 700 units and 2,100 units, with a per-unit cost of Rs 3.73. According to the company, the pricing has been kept competitive with existing daily basal insulin therapies.
The launch comes as India continues to grapple with one of the world’s largest diabetes burdens. More than 101 million people in the country are estimated to be living with diabetes, while another 136 million have prediabetes. Around six million Indians currently use insulin therapy, a figure expected to rise in the coming years. Experts have long noted that fear of daily injections and concerns over treatment costs often delay insulin initiation by several years, affecting disease control, reported Reuters.
Clinical studies have shown that insulin icodec offers blood sugar control comparable to daily basal insulin while reducing the frequency of injections, a factor that could improve treatment adherence among patients. The medicine has already received approvals in several international markets, including the United States and the European Union, before its introduction in India.
