FDA Approves Once-Weekly Insulin Awiqli for Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes

Developed by Novo Nordisk, the injectable insulin icodec-abae shifts the standard of care from seven injections per week to just one. This change aims to improve glycemic control while addressing the significant administrative and emotional barriers that often make daily insulin routines difficult for young patients to maintain.

Eda Cengiz, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that the arrival of a once-weekly option provides a vital alternative for clinical care. She emphasized that while daily basal insulin has been the primary form of treatment for over two decades, the aggressive nature of the disease in children requires more flexible, manageable options. The approval relies on evidence from the ONWARDS clinical trial program, which evaluated the safety and efficacy of the drug in adults, combined with specific pharmacokinetic data collected from pediatric patients aged 10 to 17. As the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among youth continues to climb, with projections estimating nearly 84,000 cases in individuals under 20 by 2050, the company positions this launch as a step toward more individualized pediatric support.