Weekly Insulin Injection Offers Simpler Diabetes Care

Adults with type 2 diabetes in the United States can now use the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin injection, reducing the number of annual insulin shots from 365 to 52.

“Anything that reduces that load, without reducing the quality of care, is worth taking seriously,” said Anne Peters, Endocrinologist at the University of Southern California.

The newly approved insulin, Awiqli, demonstrated blood sugar control that matched or exceeded leading daily insulin treatments in clinical trials involving around 4,000 adults with type 2 diabetes. Participants using the weekly injection also spent more time within healthy blood sugar ranges and reported high satisfaction with the simplified regimen, with 93.7% preferring it to daily injections. Researchers say the innovation could help improve long-term treatment adherence, addressing a common challenge in diabetes care while making insulin therapy more manageable for millions of people.