Weekly Insulin Shot Launched in India at Rs 261: A Game Changer for Diabetes Management
Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has launched the world’s first weekly insulin injection in India, offering a new option for diabetes management. The drug, known as insulin icodec and sold under the brand name Awiqli, costs Rs 261 per week—reducing the number of injections from 365 to 52 per year.
This innovation is designed for people with type 2 diabetes who have not achieved blood sugar control with oral medications. It is also used for some patients with type 1 diabetes who require insulin therapy. The weekly shot simplifies treatment and may improve patient compliance, doctors say.
“Novo Nordisk has championed the cause of insulin. Insulin was discovered around 100 years ago, before which patients had to restrict their calorie intake to manage blood glucose, which led to people getting sicker. It took nearly 40 years to move from insulin with a short life to one with a 12-hour life and then one that could be taken once a day. Now, another 20 years later, we have a drug that can be taken just once a week,” said Vikrant Shrotriya, managing director of Novo Nordisk India.
The drug works by bonding with albumin, a protein in the blood, creating a slow-release depot. This allows the insulin to be released gradually over a week. Additionally, three amino acid substitutions reduce the molecule’s affinity to insulin receptors, ensuring a steady effect without reducing potency.
“The impact of this drug is similar to that of any other insulin. The advantage for the patients, however, is that it would reduce the number of shots they have to take. This is likely to improve compliance as well,” said Dr SV Madhu, professor of endocrinology at GTB Hospital, New Delhi.
Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, a diabetes diagnosis was often fatal, and patients were placed on starvation diets. Over the decades, insulin has evolved from animal extracts to genetically engineered human insulin. Insulin icodec is the latest advance, engineered to last longer in the body.
The drug is meant for two categories: people with type 2 diabetes who have failed to achieve control with oral medications, and those with type 1 diabetes who need insulin. Approximately 25–30% of type 2 diabetes patients eventually require insulin. Novo Nordisk aims to help bring down average blood glucose levels in India from an HbA1c of 8.9 to 7.
While the weekly shot offers convenience, experts note that it is not suitable for everyone. Individual treatment plans should be discussed with a healthcare provider. The launch is expected to impact diabetes care in India, which has one of the highest diabetes populations in the world.
