Novo Nordisk Launches Once-Weekly Insulin Awiqli in India, Advances Diabetes Pipeline

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has launched its once-weekly basal insulin injection Awiqli (insulin icodec) in India for adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, reducing the number of injections from 365 to 52 per year. A once-weekly dose of 70 insulin units is priced at ₹261 ($2.74), with a 1 ml (700-unit) pen priced at ₹2,611 and a 3 ml (2,100-unit) pen priced at ₹7,883. India is the seventh country where the drug has been launched.

The novel drug, marketed in a pre-filled pen presentation (FlexTouch pen), is approved to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. According to clinical experts, insulin initiation in India is delayed by an average of 7–9 years, partly due to fear of injections, anticipated pain, and cost concerns. India has more than 101 million people living with diabetes and another 136 million with prediabetes, yet only an estimated 6–7% of the country's patient pool uses insulin therapy. The managing director of Novo Nordisk India said Awiqli will reduce the psychological and physical barriers to initiating insulin treatment and expects the total number of patients on insulin in India to at least double from the current base of around 6 crore over the next few years.

The launch gives Novo Nordisk a fresh path to further extend its diabetes dominance in India. Awiqli will compete with daily basal insulin brands such as Sanofi's Lantus, as well as lower-cost insulin glargine products marketed by Biocon, Eris Lifesciences and Lupin. Novo Nordisk will source the drug from its Denmark-based facilities, and its long-standing partner Abbott will manage commercial supply across India. The company has partnered with several e-pharmacy platforms, including Tata 1mg.

Separately, Novo Nordisk announced in September 2025 the resubmission of its Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Awiqli as a once-weekly basal insulin treatment for adults with type 2 diabetes. If approved, Awiqli would become the first once-weekly basal insulin available in the United States. The resubmission is based on results from the ONWARDS type 2 diabetes phase 3a program, comprising five randomized, active-controlled, treat-to-target clinical trials in approximately 4,000 adults. Awiqli is already approved in the European Union and 12 additional countries.

In other diabetes developments, Novo Nordisk reported positive Phase II results for its investigational once-weekly subcutaneous zenagamtide (amycretin) at the 2026 Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association. The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, dose-finding trial evaluated six doses (0.4 mg to 40 mg) in 262 adults with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on metformin, with or without an SGLT2 inhibitor. The study met its primary endpoint of change in HbA1c after 36 weeks at all doses, with an estimated mean change of up to –1.71% at the 40 mg dose versus –0.14% for placebo. Up to 89.1% of participants achieved HbA1c below 7%, and up to 76.2% achieved levels at or below 6.5%. Mean body weight declined by up to 14.6% (from a baseline of 99.2 kg) in the 40 mg group compared with 2.1% in the placebo group. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal and mostly mild to moderate in severity. Based on these results, Novo Nordisk will advance zenagamtide into Phase III trials for adults with type 2 diabetes in the second half of 2026. Zenagamtide is described as the first investigational treatment for type 2 diabetes to combine GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist mechanisms of action in a single molecule.

Additionally, on June 7, 2026, Novo Nordisk presented Phase 3 results from its Reimagine 1-3 trials, which showed significant reductions in HbA1c and weight in adults with type 2 diabetes. The trials met their primary endpoints of HbA1c reduction and confirmatory secondary endpoints for bodyweight reduction. The data were presented during a late-breaking symposium at the 2026 ADA Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, alongside publication of the Reimagine 1 and 2 results in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology and the Reimagine 3 results in The Lancet.