Novo Nordisk announces EC approval for Levemir

Novo Nordisk has announced that Levemir (insulin detemir) has been approved by the European Commission (EC) as a once-daily treatment in conjunction with oral antidiabetic drugs.

Levemir is a long-acting insulin analogue that covers the body’s basal insulin need to improve blood glucose levels, with patients administered with the compound exhibiting less weight gain compared to those receiving NPPH insulin and insulin glargine (1-3).

Novo Nordisk reports that the weight benefit of the drug has been confirmed both in studies and clinical practice.

Dr Anne Dornhorst, of the department of metabolic medicine at Imperial College, said: “Our findings showed that not only did Levemir given once daily improve glycaemic control, but unlike many other forms of insulin, it actually lead to weight loss.”

She added that such weight loss was more pronounced in diabetes patients that were more obese.

The company notes that the approval of the compound by the EC gives a new treatment option to patients with type two diabetes that have shown difficulties controlling their blood glucose levels when treated with oral antidiabetics alone.

Last month, Novo Nordisk announced that it had signed an agreement with TransTech, with the latter company gaining an exclusive licence to its glucokinase activator programme for the treatment of diabetes.