Novo Nordisk receives EU approval for new diabetes drugs

Novo Nordisk has been granted European regulatory approval for a pair of new drugs for the treatment of diabetes in adult patients.

The European Commission has granted marketing authorisations for the insulin degludec-based therapy Tresiba and the insulin degludec/insulin aspart combination Ryzodeg, with both approvals covering all 27 EU member states.

Both therapies are once-daily new-generation basal insulin analogues with ultra-long durations of action and will be available alongside FlexTouch, Novo Nordisk's latest prefilled insulin pen, which features an easy auto-injector mechanism.

Tresiba will debut in the UK and Denmark in the first half of this year ahead of a wider European rollout spanning 2013 and 2014, while Ryzodeg will be launched one year later.

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, executive vice-president and chief science officer of Novo Nordisk, said: "These marketing authorisations constitute significant milestones for Novo Nordisk and the treatment of diabetes."

This comes after the firm reported progress on the phase III development of the new insulin therapies IDegLira and FIAsp last month.