Novo Nordisk insulin pen price in India: How much will once-weekly Awiqli cost you? Check its variants

Published 9 July 2026 · local

Novo Nordisk India on Thursday launched Awiqli (insulin icodec) in the country, making India one of the markets to offer the world's first once-weekly basal

Novo Nordisk India on Thursday launched Awiqli (insulin icodec) in the country, making India one of the markets to offer the world's first once-weekly basal insulin for adults living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. The new therapy reduces the number of insulin injections from one every day to one per week, cutting the annual requirement from 365 injections to just 52, reported ANI. According to the company, Awiqli represents a major shift in diabetes care, aiming to transform how insulin therapy fits into patients' daily lives rather than offering only a minor improvement over existing treatments. Results from the global ONWARDS-1 clinical programme showed that Awiqli delivered greater reductions in HbA1c levels and improved Time in Range compared with once-daily insulin glargine U100. The study also found that a higher proportion of people with Type 2 diabetes achieved an HbA1c level below 7% without experiencing hypoglycaemia, while the improvement in Time in Range helped provide more consistent blood glucose control throughout the day.

Awiqli insulin price in India As per Reuters, Novo Nordisk India Managing Director Vikrant Shrotriya, while speaking at the product launch in New Delhi, stated a weekly dose of 70 insulin units of Awiqli will cost ₹261 ($2.74). The insulin will reportedly be available in two variants: a 1 ml (700-unit) prefilled pen priced at ₹2,611 and a 3 ml (2,100-unit) pen priced at ₹7,833. What did Novo Nordisk India MD say? Shrotriya noted that the cost compares with ₹345–453 for 70 units of currently available once-daily basal insulin products. He added that Awiqli will be introduced in the Indian market next week. Also Read | Eris Lifesciences builds on insulin strength to break into weight-loss territory In a statement, Novo Nordisk said that more than 101 million people in India are living with diabetes, while an additional 136 million have prediabetes.

The company also highlighted that insulin therapy is typically initiated 7–9 years later than recommended in India, largely because of concerns over injections, anticipated pain, and treatment costs. According to PTI, Shrotriya said that “It is a modern therapy, and we (India) are the seventh country to launch (the injection).” Highlighting the benefits of the once-weekly insulin, he explained that conventional insulin therapies require people with diabetes to take injections every day, which often discourages them from starting treatment because "they think that they have to take every day and they have to take lifelong". He mentioned the once-weekly dosing of Awiqli helps address this concern, adding that it "reduces one of the barriers by which people actually deny insulin". Shrotriya stated India has around 6 million people on insulin therapy, and Novo Nordisk believes that number to grow to 9 million in the coming years, noting that the increase is likely to support the company's business growth.