Awiqli

About Awiqli

• About: Awiqli is the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin for adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.  
• Scientific name: Its scientific name is insulin icodec. 
• How it is used: 
  • It is a prescription-only medicine administered as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm, on the same day each week.
  • The dose is adjusted based on regular blood glucose monitoring.
    • In type 1 diabetes, it must be used with short-acting insulin to cover mealtime insulin needs.
    • In type 2 diabetes, it may be used alone or in combination with other antidiabetic medicines, including short-acting insulin.
  • When switching from another long-acting insulin, the first Awiqli dose may be increased by 50% to achieve faster blood glucose control; this 50% increase is mandatory in type 1 diabetes.
• How it works: 
  • Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose is high, either because the body cannot produce insulin (type 1 diabetes) or because the body does not make enough insulin or cannot use it effectively (type 2 diabetes). 
  • The replacement insulin in Awiqli acts in the same way as the body’s own insulin and helps glucose enter cells from the blood.
  • This controls the level of blood glucose and reduces the symptoms and complications of diabetes. 
  • In the bloodstream, insulin icodec binds to a protein called albumin which makes it stay longer in the body, prolonging its action.
• Benefits:
  • It was shown to effectively control blood glucose in five studies involving adults with type 2 diabetes and one study involving adults with type 1 diabetes.
  • The main measure of effectiveness was the change in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), which reflects blood glucose control. Lower HbA1c levels indicate better glucose control.
• Complications: The most common side effects with Awiqli (which may affect more than 1 in 10 people) include hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose levels).