Novo Nordisk India has launched Awiqli (insulin icodec) in India—the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin, for adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Available in the Indian market from July 10, 2026 onward, 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.

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.”

In the ONWARDS-1 clinical program, Awiqli achieved superior HbA1c reduction and time in range compared with once-daily glargine U100. More people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) reached an HbA1c below 7 percent without hypoglycaemia. Time in Range—an increasingly important complement to HbA1c—was also significantly increased with Awiqli, giving patients better control through the day.

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.”