Industry Odisha Bureau, July 10: Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has launched Awiqli (insulin icodec) in India. It is the first and only weekly-once basal insulin available for adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The new treatment will now reduce the number of insulin injections from 365 to just 52 per year.
Notably, Insulin helps regulate blood sugar by moving glucose from the bloodstream into the body’s cells. People with Type 1 and advanced Type 2 diabetes require insulin therapy to keep their blood sugar under control. However, many patients delay starting insulin because of the need for everyday injections.
Novo Nordisk said Awiqli aims to address this challenge by offering a once-a-week dosing schedule. The company mentioned statistics stating that insulin treatment in India is often delayed by seven to nine years for the same reason. It has priced a 700-unit pack at Rs 2611. This world out to about Rs 3.73 per unit. Novo Nordisk said this is about 35% cheaper than many daily basal insulin options currently available. A patient requiring 10 units of insulin a day would need about 70 units of Awiqli each week, costing roughly at Rs 261.
Doctors have welcomed the launch. Several of them say that the pricing makes the treatment more accessible. Diabetologist Dr Rajiv Kovil said that clinical trials showed Awiqli provides blood sugar control that is at par with daily insulin when used with proper dose adjustments.
Notably, India has around 10.1 crore people living with diabetes and another 13.6 crore with prediabetes. Over 9 lakh people have Type 1 diabetes. Meanwhile, nearly 10 percent of people with Type 2 diabetes also require insulin therapy. Awiqli is administered through the FlexTouch pen device once a week. Novo Nordisk said that the simpler treatment schedule could improve patient adherence and encourage more people to begin insulin therapy earlier.
The company also added that clinical studies found Awiqli improved HbA1c levels. IT also helped more patients achieve recommended blood sugar targets without increasing the risk of hypoglycaemia compared with daily insulin glargine.
