HASHWAT GUPTA RAY
Goa, which has one of the highest prevalence of high blood sugar among men in the country and significantly higher rates of obesity than the national average, could soon witness a major shift in diabetes care with the arrival of the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin in the State. According to NFHS-6 (2023 24), 32.1 per cent of Goan men have high blood sugar — the highest in India — while the figure for women stands at 27.5 per cent, well above the national average. Diabetes specialists say the newly launched Awiq li PANJIM: Goa, which has one of the highest prevalence of high blood sugar among men in the country and significantly higher rates of obesity than the national average, could soon witness a major shift in diabetes care with the arrival of the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin in the State. According to NFHS-6 (2023 24), 32.1 per cent of Goan men have high blood sugar — the highest in India — while the figure for women stands at 27.5 per cent, well above the national average.
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Diabetes specialists say the newly launched Awiq li (insulin icodec), manu factured by Novo Nordisk, is expected to reach Goa pharmacies within the next one to two weeks. By releasing insulin gradually over seven days, the medi cation reduces the injection burden for insulin-depend ent patients from 365 injec (insulin icodec), manu factured by Novo Nordisk, is expected to reach Goa pharmacies within the next one to two weeks. By releasing insulin gradually over seven days, the medi cation reduces the injection burden for insulin-dependtions a year to just 52. The drug, drug, recently launched in India, is priced at Rs 2,611 for 700 units, translating to roughly Rs 261 for a typical weekly dose of 70 units. recently launched in India, is priced at Rs 2,611 for 700 units, translating to roughly Rs 261 for a typical weekly dose of 70 units. Endocrinologist Dr Vaib hav Dukle said the innova tion lies not in a new insu Endocrinologist Dr Vaib hav Dukle said the innova tion lies not in a new insu lin molecule but in the way it is delivered. “It functions as a concen trated form of basal insulin; while the insulin molecule itself remains the same, the delivery technology has been modified to release the medication slowly over seven days.
This effectivelyreduces the injection fre quency from seven times a week to once a week,” Drukle told O Heraldo. He said the treatment could make a meaningful differ ence for patients who have achieved stable blood sugar control on fixed insulin doses, particularly those who struggle with daily injections. “This regimen is highly beneficial for stable patients on fixed doses, especially those with needle phobia, as it sig nificantly reduces the injection burden. Conversely, it may not be suitable for patients who experience high blood sug ar variability,” he informed. Consultant Diabetologist and Physician Dr Vidya Kumar Singh said the once-weekly formulation could improve treatment adherence, as many patients skip daily insulin because of busy schedules, travel, forgetfulness or simple injection fatigue. “Weekly administration significantly reduces this bur den and may lead to more consistent blood glucose con trol,” he said. He added that the simplified regimen could especial ly benefit elderly patients, people with limited mobility, those dependent on caregivers, and patients living in rural parts of Goa where access to healthcare facilities may be less frequent. Initially, the insulin is expected to be stocked by major hospital pharmacies, endocrinology clinics and large retail pharmacy chains, while smaller pharmacies may procure it on advance orders until demand grows.
However, specialists cautioned that the convenience of weekly dosing also demands greater discipline. “However, since insulin icodec remains active in the body for an entire week, careful patient selection and edu cation are essential. The weekly injection should always be administered on the same day each week. Missing a dose or administering extra doses can result in prolonged peri ods of high or low blood sugar,” Dr Singh said, adding that dose adjustments should only be undertaken under medi cal supervision during the initial weeks of treatment. Lead Consultant in Nephrology and Transplant, Dr Amol Mahaldar, said the arrival of once-weekly insulin marks an important advance but should not be viewed as a universal solution. “Many patients will still require additional shots of act ing insulin around meal time spikes of sugars to comple ment the basal effect of long-acting icodec in controlling fasting glucose levels,” he said.
Even with those limitations, doctors believe the new therapy has the potential to make diabetes management simpler and less burdensome for thousands of insulin-de pendent patients in Goa, improving convenience and, ulti mately, treatment compliance.
