Novo Nordisk launches world's first once-weekly basal insulin in India
New Delhi, July 9
Novo Nordisk India on Thursday announced the launch in India of Awiqli, the world's first weekly once-basal insulin for adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The product reduces the insulin regimen from once-daily to once-weekly - or 365 shots to 52.
The company describes this as a fundamental reimagining of how insulin fits into people's lives rather than an incremental improvement.
In the global ONWARDS-1 clinical programme, Awiqli demonstrated superior HbA1c reduction and increased Time in Range compared with once-daily glargine U100. More people with Type 2 diabetes achieved an HbA1c level below 7% without hypoglycaemia, while the significant improvement in Time in Range provided patients with better glucose control throughout the day.
Vikrant Shrotriya, Managing Director, Novo Nordisk India, said the launch of Awiqli marks a defining moment for diabetes care in India. He noted that Novo Nordisk has spent more than a century working to make insulin therapy simpler, safer and more accessible, adding that once-weekly dosing had long been an aspiration for the diabetes care community.
According to him, Awiqli has the potential to reduce the psychological and physical barriers associated with insulin initiation and help more people achieve better diabetes control and an improved quality of life.
Dr S K Wangnoo, Senior Consultant Endocrinologist and Diabetologist at the Apollo Centre for Obesity, Diabetes & Endocrinology (ACODE), Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, said insulin remains the cornerstone of diabetes management for many patients, but delayed initiation and poor adherence continue to affect treatment outcomes. He said innovations that simplify treatment could encourage patients to start insulin earlier and enable more productive conversations between doctors and patients about timely diabetes management.
The launch comes at a time when India is facing one of the world's largest diabetes burdens. More than 101 million people in the country are living with diabetes, while another 136 million have prediabetes, placing them at high risk of developing the disease. The National Family Health Survey-6 (2023-24) also reported a sharp rise in blood sugar levels across both urban and rural India.
According to the survey, 20.9% of men aged 15 years and above have high blood sugar levels or are taking diabetes medication, compared with 15.6% during NFHS-5 (2019-21). Among women aged 15 years and above, the figure increased to 17.8% from 13.5% in the previous survey.
Despite the growing prevalence of diabetes, insulin initiation in India is delayed by an average of seven to nine years. Factors contributing to this delay include fear of injections, anticipated pain, treatment complexity and concerns about costs among patients. Physicians also face challenges related to the risk of hypoglycaemia, weight gain, complex dose titration and concerns about patient adherence.
As Type 2 diabetes progresses, insulin therapy often becomes clinically necessary. However, the burden associated with daily injections frequently discourages patients from starting treatment.
Novo Nordisk believes Awiqli addresses these concerns through its once-weekly dosing schedule, strong clinical evidence and delivery via the FlexTouch device, potentially changing the perception of insulin therapy from one of reluctance to one of confidence.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who has worked with diabetes patients in India, this is amazing news. The psychological barrier is real - many patients avoid insulin because they feel it's a "daily chore" they'll never escape. Once-weekly shots might actually encourage earlier initiation. The Timing in Range improvement data looks promising too. Big step forward for endocrinology!
Great innovation but I have one concern - weekly insulin means if there's a side effect or error in dose, it's not something you can correct for a whole week. With daily insulin, you can adjust the next day. Doctors should be careful with monitoring, especially in Type 1 patients. But overall, this is a wonderful step for diabetes management in India where the numbers are truly scary.
Having Type 1 diabetes myself, I'm cautiously optimistic. The ONWARDS data is impressive - superior HbA1c reduction and more Time in Range is exactly what we need. But I wonder about flexibility: with daily insulin you can adjust for meals and activity. Weekly shots may not offer that granular control for everyone. Still, for Type 2 patients who struggle with adherence, this could be revolutionary. Kudos to Novo Nordisk for pushing boundaries!
The real challenge will be cost and accessibility in rural India. 101 million people living with diabetes is a huge number, but most of them are in villages where even basic insulin is hard to get. Will this be available in government hospitals? Will it be affordable for the average Indian family? If yes, this will truly be a game-changer. If not, it's just another innovation for the privileged few. Let's hope Novo Nordisk India steps up with fair pricing.
J We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.