Novo Nordisk receives paediatric approval for Tresiba

Novo Nordisk has announced that its diabetes therapy Tresiba has been approved for use in children and adolescents with diabetes aged one to 17 years in Europe.

The extension to the European Commission licence is available to patients in the UK with immediate effect and will expand the number of patients able to benefit from the long-acting basal insulin analogue.

Also known as insulin degludec, Tresiba proved its safety and efficacy in the BEGIN YOUNG 1 study, which showed that the therapy, when given once daily in a basal-bolus regimen with insulin aspart, effectively maintained long-term glycaemic control in young patients.

According to Diabetes UK, an estimated 24,000 children are living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes in England.

Klaus Henning Jensen, medical director at Novo Nordisk, said: "Offering a once-daily basal insulin to help patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes as young as one year old effectively manage their diabetes is a significant milestone."

The global rollout of Tresiba last year was cited as one of the key drivers of growth within Novo Nordisk's business in 2014.