Novo Nordisk India has launched Awiqli® (insulin icodec), the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin for adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus, marking a major shift in how insulin therapy can be delivered and experienced. Instead of a once-daily regimen, patients can now receive their basal insulin through a single injection every week, reducing the annual injection burden from 365 to just 52 and significantly easing the practical and psychological barriers associated with daily injections.
Awiqli® is the first and only once-weekly basal insulin currently available, representing a global innovation in diabetes therapy and a new standard of convenience in long-term disease management. The therapy is designed to reduce the injection burden from seven injections per week to just one, a change that could be particularly impactful in India, where initiation of insulin is often delayed by seven to nine years due to fear of injections, anticipated pain and concerns about treatment complexity and cost. Delivered via Novo Nordisk’s FlexTouch® device, known internationally for its ease of use and dosing precision, Awiqli® reinforces the company’s more than 100-year commitment to advancing insulin and diabetes care.
The clinical profile of Awiqli® is supported by the ONWARDS-1 programme, which showed superior HbA1c reduction and improved “time in range” compared with once-daily insulin glargine U100. In these studies, more people with type 2 diabetes achieved HbA1c levels below 7 per cent without increased hypoglycaemia, while time in range a key complement to HbA1c that measures how often blood glucose stays within target limits—was significantly higher with once-weekly insulin. This combination of improved glycaemic control and a reduced injection burden has the potential to enhance adherence and long-term outcomes for patients who require basal insulin.
“The launch of Awiqli® is a defining moment for diabetes care in India,” said Vikrant Shrotriya, Managing Director, Novo Nordisk India. He noted that Novo Nordisk has spent more than a century working to make insulin therapy simpler, safer and more accessible, and that once-weekly dosing has long been an aspiration in the field. With Awiqli®, that aspiration has become reality, and the company believes the new regimen will help lower psychological and physical barriers to insulin initiation, enabling more people to achieve better control and quality of life.
Commenting on the broader treatment context, Dr S.K. Wangnoo, Senior Consultant Endocrinologist and Diabetologist at the Apollo Centre for Obesity, Diabetes & Endocrinology (ACODE), Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, emphasised that while insulin remains the cornerstone of diabetes management, delayed initiation and poor adherence often undermine outcomes. He highlighted that innovations which genuinely simplify the treatment experience—such as a once-weekly basal insulin can reduce apprehension about starting insulin and support more constructive, timely discussions between clinicians and patients.
The launch comes at a critical time for India’s diabetes landscape. More than 101 million people in the country currently live with diabetes, one of the highest burdens globally, and an additional 136 million have prediabetes, representing a large at-risk population. Recent NFHS-6 (2023- 24) data show a sharp rise in high blood sugar across both urban and rural India, with 20.9 per cent of men and 17.8 per cent of women aged 15 and above either having high blood sugar or being on diabetes medication, up from 15.6 per cent and 13.5 per cent respectively in NFHS-5 (2019- 21). Against this backdrop, the average delay of 7- 9 years before starting insulin reflects substantial barriers on both the patient and physician sides.
On the patient side, common concerns include fear of injections, anticipated pain, cost sensitivity and the perceived complexity of daily treatment, while physicians must manage risks such as hypoglycaemia and weight gain, complex titration regimens and uncertainty about adherence. As type 2 diabetes progresses, insulin therapy often becomes clinically necessary, yet the burden of daily injections creates resistance and missed treatment opportunities. Awiqli® is designed to address these barriers directly: with once-weekly dosing, strong clinical evidence and a familiar, user-friendly device, Novo Nordisk believes the therapy can help shift the dialogue around insulin from avoidance and anxiety to confidence and timely initiation, offering a new pathway to better long-term control for millions of people living with diabetes in India.
