Data show Novo Nordisk's ultra-long-acting insulin degludec can be flexibly dosed

Danish insulin giant Novo Nordisk’s (NVO: N) ultra-long-acting insulin degludec, an investigational basal insulin, showed significant blood sugar reductions in patients with type 2 diabetes even when doses were given once-daily up to 40 hours apart, according to data presented yesterday at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Lisbon, Portugal.

Insulin degludec is still under clinical investigation and regulatory submission has not been filed. Analysts at Credit Suisse have a global net present value for degludec of 15.05 Danish kroner per share, or 3.3% of total NPV for Novo Nordisk, which closed at 625 kroner yesterday, up 0.6%.

The study showed that HbA1c, a standard measure of blood glucose, levels at 26-weeks was reduced by 1.28 percentage points to 7.2% with insulin degludec, comparable to insulin glargine. Additionally, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) reductions were significantly lower for insulin degludec (5.8mmol/l) at the end of the study than for insulin glargine (6.2mmol/l) (estimated treatment difference [EDT]: -0.42mmol/l [-0.82;-0.02] p < 0.05).1 Please see abstract 112 from EASD, 2011 for full study details.