Once-weekly insulin for T2D as effective as daily insulin

Around half-a-million people living with type 2 diabetes could switch from daily insulin injections to a once-a-week injection, following a decision by NICE to recommend insulin efsitora alfa.

The insulin, brand name Onswik, has been shown to control blood glucose levels as well as two widely used long-acting insulins, insulin degludece and insulin glargine,

NICE predicts that the new once-weekly treatment will particularly benefit people who need help to inject insulin, such as those with sight loss, impaired dexterity, learning disabilities or difficult following directions for use.

Insulin efsitora can be used alone or alongside other treatments for type 2 diabetes, but is not yet licensed for use on the NHS.

Around one in four people living with type 2 diabetes are on insulin-containing regimens.

The once-weekly basal insulin treatment has been shown in clinical trials to have similar effects on blood glucose to both insulin degludec and insulin glargine, and with similar rates of hypoglycaemic events. People taking efsitora also required a lower weekly insulin dose and fewer dose adjustments compared with those on daily insulin.