Weekly insulin found safe, effective for T2D

New research published in JAMA shows that once-weekly insulin icodec is safe for people with T2D. It also showed that individuals with T2D who used insulin icodec maintained healthier blood glucose levels compared with people who received daily injections of insulin degludec.

The Phase III ONWARDS 3 trial included 564 insulin-naive patients with T2D from 11 countries. Participants were randomized to receive injected icodec once a week and a placebo daily or injected degludec daily and a placebo once a week.

After 26 weeks of treatment plus 5 weeks of follow-up, participants who received a weekly icodec had much larger improvements in their blood glucose levels compared with those who received daily injected degludec.

Rates of adverse events in both groups were very low. The new findings add to other ONWARDS trials assessing how icodec works in various clinical scenarios.

Experts believe the once-weekly version of the drug could minimize the stigma associated with daily insulin treatment.

Novo Nordisk funded the trials.