Diabetes Dialogue: Weekly Insulin Icodec Now Available for Type 2 Diabetes

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Once-weekly basal insulin therapy has moved from clinical trial data to pharmacy shelves, offering clinicians a new option for patients who struggle with the daily burden of insulin injections. The shift addresses a persistent adherence problem in basal insulin therapy, where missed or inconsistent daily dosing undermines glycemic control.

On this episode of Diabetes Dialogue, hosts Diana Isaacs, PharmD, and Natalie Bellini, DNP, discussed the pharmacy launch of insulin icodec (Awiqli), the first once-weekly basal insulin now available in the United States.

The approval rests on data from approximately 4200 participants across the phase 2 and phase 3 ONWARDS program. In insulin-naive participants enrolled in ONWARDS 1, 3, and 5, insulin icodec produced superior reductions in hemoglobin A1c compared with once-daily basal insulin. Among participants switching from daily basal therapy in ONWARDS 2, icodec showed noninferior glycemic control alongside improved treatment satisfaction scores.

Insulin icodec has also been studied in type 1 diabetes but did not receive approval in this population after trials showed higher rates of hypoglycemia relative to daily basal insulin. Additional studies in type 1 diabetes are ongoing, leaving open the possibility of future expansion beyond the current type 2 indication.

Dosing requires new clinical habits, since insulin icodec is formulated as U-700, a concentration allowing a full week's dose to be delivered in a comfortable injection volume. Adjustments occur in 10-unit increments rather than the single-unit changes used with daily basal insulins, though the weekly total still translates into modest day-to-day changes of roughly one to two units. Patients switching from daily basal insulin require a loading dose, calculated by multiplying the total daily dose by 10.5, to reach steady state faster than a standard weekly conversion would allow.

Titration follows fasting glucose. Clinicians add 20 units when readings exceed 130 mg/dL, maintain the dose between 80 and 130 mg/dL, and subtract 20 units below 80 mg/dL. Because increases and decreases are dosed in 20-unit blocks, most cycles are reassessed over two to four weeks rather than week to week.

The reduced injection frequency carries particular relevance for older adults, caregivers, and patients whose adherence to daily regimens has proven inconsistent. As pharmacy access expands, coverage and prior authorization requirements will shape how quickly insulin icodec moves into routine practice, but early trial and satisfaction data point toward a meaningful shift in basal insulin management.

Editors’ Note: Isaacs reports disclosures with Dexcom, Abbott, Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Medtronic, Insulet, and others. Bellini reports disclosures with Abbott Diabetes Care, MannKind, Povention Bio, and others.

References

1. Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk’s Awiqli, the first once-weekly basal insulin for adults with type 2 diabetes, now available in the US. PR Newswire. August 11, 2026. Accessed August 11, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novo-nordisks-awiqli-the-first-once-weekly-basal-insulin-for-adults-with-type-2-diabetes-now-available-in-the-us-302847645.html