TNI Bureau: Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has launched Awiqli, a once-weekly insulin injection for adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in India.

The company said Awiqli is the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin approved for clinical use. Unlike conventional insulin that requires daily injections, Awiqli needs to be taken only once a week, reducing the number of injections from 365 to 52 a year.

Novo Nordisk said the new treatment could help patients who delay starting insulin therapy due to fear of injections and other concerns. The company noted that India has over 101 million people living with diabetes and another 136 million with prediabetes.

Awiqli, also known as insulin icodec, has already been approved in the United States, the European Union and several other countries. In India, it will compete with existing basal insulin products available in the market.