Novo Nordisk debuts Tresiba in UK and Denmark

Danish insulin giant Novo Nordisk (NOVN: N) has started the European roll-out of its Tresiba (insulin degludec), a new once-daily basal insulin for adult patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, starting with the UK and Denmark on March 4. Further European launches are expected through the rest of this year and 2014.

Insulin degludec, which was recently approved by the European Commission (The Pharma Letter January 22), but has been delayed in the USA, effectively reduces blood glucose levels in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes, the company said, while significantly reducing the risk of nocturnal hypoglycemia compared with the most commonly prescribed basal insulin in the UK:

• 25% reduction in nocturnal hypoglycaemia for patients with type 1 diabetes [4.41 versus 5.86 episodes per patient year of exposure (PYE); p=0.02];
•  36% reduction in nocturnal hypoglycemia for insulin naïve patients with type 2 diabetes [0.25 vs 0.39 episodes per PYE; p<0.04]; and
•  there was no significant difference in the rate of confirmed overall hypoglycaemic episodes for insulin degludec versus insulin glargine in patients with type 1 diabetes (42.54 vs 40.18 episodes per patient year of exposure p=0.48)3 or for insulin naïve patients with type 2 diabetes (1.52 vs 1.85 per patient year of exposure; p=0.11).