Awiqli is approved for children aged 10 and older, potentially cutting basal insulin injections from seven a week to one.
Novo Nordisk said the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Awiqli, a once-weekly insulin, for children aged 10 and older with type 2 diabetes, extending a treatment the company says was already cleared for adults. The drug is designed as a long-acting basal insulin, meaning it is intended to provide steady background insulin rather than cover mealtime blood sugar spikes, and the company says the new approval could reduce injections from seven a week to one. Novo said the decision was based on adult studies and a single-dose pharmacokinetic study in paediatric patients, while also warning that the treatment can cause hypoglycaemia, allergic reactions, injection-site problems and weight gain. The company also pointed to growing rates of type 2 diabetes in young people and said the medicine is available at more than 70,000 pharmacies nationwide.
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