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Novo Nordisk India announced the launch of Awiqli (insulin icodec) in India — the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin, for adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus. Awiqli is set to fundamentally transform the insulin regimen for people with diabetes - from a once-daily routine to a once-weekly injection, thereby reducing the annual injection burden from 365 to just 52. This is not just an incremental update — it is a fundamental reimagination of how insulin fits into people’s lives.
In the ONWARDS-1 clinical programme, Awiqli achieved superior HbA1c reduction and time in range compared with once-daily glargine U100. More people with type 2 diabetes reached an HbA1c below 7% without hypoglycaemia. Time in Range — an increasingly important complement to HbA1c — was also significantly increased with Awiqli, giving patients better control through the day.
Vikrant Shrotriya, managing director, Novo Nordisk India, said: “The launch of Awiqli is a defining moment for diabetes care in India. For more than a century, Novo Nordisk has pursued one ambition: to make insulin therapy simpler, safer and more accessible for patients. Once-weekly dosing has long been an aspiration in our field. Today, it is a reality for India. We believe Awiqli will reduce the psychological and physical barriers to insulin initiation — and ultimately help more people achieve better control and a better quality of life.”
Dr SK Wangnoo, senior consultant endocrinologist and diabetologist, Apollo Centre for Obesity, Diabetes & Endocrinology (ACODE), Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi said: “Insulin remains the cornerstone of diabetes management for many patients, yet delayed initiation and non-adherence continue to undermine outcomes in clinical practice. Innovations that meaningfully simplify the treatment experience have the potential to change patient behaviour. A once-weekly basal insulin could reduce the apprehension around starting insulin and help clinicians have more productive conversations about timely treatment.”
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