Novo Nordisk reports positive trial data for faster-acting insulin

Novo Nordisk has announced headline results from the final phase IIIa trials that demonstrated the safety and efficacy of its new faster-acting insulin aspart product.

Results from the Onset 1 and Onset 2 studies indicated that the new insulin aspart therapy is non-inferior to NovoRapid in terms of its ability to lower blood glucose levels among patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

For those with type 1 diabetes, the magnitude of this reduction was statistically significantly larger than that achieved with NovoRapid when the insulins were given at mealtimes. In addition, treatment with faster-acting insulin aspart was associated with less increase of postprandial glucose than NovoRapid during meal tests in both trials.

Novo Nordisk expects to file for regulatory approval of the new insulin aspart product in the US and EU around the turn of the year.

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, executive vice-president and chief science officer of Novo Nordisk, said: "We are encouraged by the results of these trials, which show that faster-acting insulin aspart has the potential to help people with diabetes improve their blood glucose control around meals."

The company was granted European regulatory approval for its new obesity drug, Saxenda, earlier this week.