Once-Weekly Basal Insulin Awiqli Launched in India

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Global healthcare company Novo Nordisk officially launched its new drug Awiqli in India.
India is only the seventh country in the world to introduce this advanced diabetes treatment.

Known generically as insulin icodec, this drug is a long-acting background basal insulin analogue.
It is the first once-weekly basal insulin in the world approved for adults with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
A single dose provides steady blood sugar control that lasts for a full seven days.
The Denmark-based pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk researched and developed this breakthrough medicine.
The main goal of this drug is to reduce the pain of frequent injections and encourage patients to start insulin therapy earlier.

This weekly dose reduces the patient's injection burden from 365 daily shots to just 52 shots a year.
In clinical trials called ONWARDS-1, the drug managed blood sugar better than standard daily insulin glargine U100.
It lowered HbA1c levels effectively and kept blood sugar within the target range without causing sudden, dangerous drops.
Patients can easily self-administer the medicine at home using a pre-filled, highly accurate FlexTouch pen device.
The base cost of the drug is highly competitive, set at approximately ₹3.73 per unit.
The 1 ml pen contains 700 units and costs ₹2,611, while the 3 ml pen contains 2,100 units and costs ₹7,833.
A standard weekly dose of 70 units costs around ₹261, which is cheaper than older daily options that cost between ₹345 and ₹453 for the same dose.

By removing the fear of daily pinpricks, patients can start treatment earlier to avoid severe, long-term health complications.
This launch will increase competition in the market and push Indian drugmakers to develop their own long-acting insulin therapies.