India Launches Once-Weekly Basal Insulin

On 9th July 2026, Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk launched Awiqli (insulin icodec), the world's first once-weekly basal insulin for adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Key Points

Clinical Benefits: The ONWARDS-1 clinical programme showed better HbA1c reduction and improved Time in Range compared to daily insulin glargine U100.
Patient Advantage: The simplified weekly dosing is expected to improve treatment adherence and reduce psychological barriers to insulin therapy.
Target Group: The treatment is approved for adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes requiring basal insulin therapy.
Diabetes Burden: India has over 101 million people with diabetes and around 136 million people with prediabetes.