Novo Nordisk has breakthrough with drug testing for type 1 diabetes

Novo Nordisk has had a breakthrough during the testing of drugs used to treat type 1 diabetes.

The trial results suggest that its drug Tresiba (insulin degludec) carries a reduced risk of hypoglycaemia episodes compared to Sanofi’s Lantus (insulin glargine). 

Tresiba matched Lantus for blood sugar reduction and also demonstrated an 11 percent reduction in the rate of severe or blood glucose confirmed symptomatic hypoglycemia. This was proven with 2,201 events per 100 patient years for Tresiba, compared to 2,463 events per 100 patient years for insulin glargine.

Non-inferiority was also demonstrated for nocturnal hypoglycaemia. Tresiba reduced these incidences by 36 percent compared with Lantus, at 277 events versus 429.

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, executive vice president and chief science officer of Novo Nordisk, said: "We are very excited about these trial results, which document that Tresiba, also in people with type 1 diabetes, significantly reduces the risk of hypoglycaemia compared to insulin glargine. We expect to initiate filing of the data from the SWITCH trials with regulatory authorities in Q3 2016 with the aim of updating the label for Tresiba.”