Key Highlights:
- Novo Nordisk has launched Awiqli (insulin icodec) in India, making the country one of the latest markets to offer the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin for adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The launch comes as India continues to face one of the world’s highest diabetes burdens, with over 101 million people living with diabetes.
- Designed to replace daily basal insulin injections, Awiqli reduces the number of injections from 365 to 52 per year, aiming to address key barriers to insulin initiation such as fear of injections, anticipated pain, and treatment burden. Novo believes the once-weekly regimen could encourage earlier insulin adoption, which is often delayed by 7–9 years in India.
- Already approved in the US, European Union, and several other countries, Awiqli is expected to compete with Sanofi’s Lantus and lower-cost insulin glargine products from Biocon, Eris Lifesciences, and Lupin in India’s growing insulin market, which is projected to reach $916.4 million by 2034
Implications:
By reducing injections from 365 to 52 per year at near price parity, and potentially 20–25% lower annual treatment costs versus some analogue basals, Awiqli directly addresses key barriers that delay insulin initiation by 7–9 years in India, including fear of needles, anticipated pain, and treatment burden.
Source: Novo Nordisk
