Weekly insulin: You can buy it, but it's not yet refundable.

In a country like Italy, where 5,9 percent of the population (more than 3,5 million people) suffers from diabetes, the ability to switch from daily to weekly insulin is excellent news. By a strange twist of fate, it comes exactly 100 years after insulin was approved by the European Medicines Agency. The only weakness of this important development is that, currently, weekly insulin is marketed as Class C, and therefore not yet eligible for reimbursement.

Benefits

There are at least three advantages to weekly insulin. Going from 365 to 52 injections per year reduces the discomfort associated with daily administration and facilitates adherence to therapy, reducing the risk of dosing errors.

Effectiveness

As for effectiveness, the scientific studies conducted so far demonstrate that insulin titled Icodec (the weekly one) is just as effective as the daily one in keeping blood sugar levels under control. This is what the Mario Negri Institute website, the most authoritative voice in Europe on pharmaceuticals, reports: "The new weekly insulin, ICODEC, was evaluated in 6 clinical studies, called ONWARS, in subjects with type 2 diabetes who were due to start insulin therapy (due to high blood glucose levels despite optimal oral medication therapy), in subjects with type 2 diabetes already on daily basal insulin therapy, and in type 2 diabetics already on daily basal insulin therapy combined with rapid-acting mealtime insulin. In all these studies, Icodec insulin proved to be as effective as daily insulin in improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes without significantly increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. Indeed, in patients starting Icodec therapy and in those in whom it replaced glycemic control, it was better than daily insulin at the same fasting blood glucose levels. This means that the new insulin maintains greater glycemic stability throughout the day, which in the long term will help reduce complications." chronic conditions related to diabetes”.

Dosing

The dosage is simple: simply multiply the daily dose by seven. Only for the first injection, i.e., in the first week of taking the medicine, is an additional 50 percent dose recommended, which allows for better glycemic control. In any case, it's always best to discuss the dosage with your doctor.

When to take

Weekly insulin administration should always be done on the same day, without ever changing the schedule.

The syringes to use

Syringes used for daily insulin are calibrated for concentrations of 100 units/ml, while weekly insulin has a concentration of 700 units/ml. Therefore, using current insulin syringes is absolutely not recommended, to avoid the risk of hypoglycemia.

Read also:

• Diabetes: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
• What to eat for breakfast with diabetes
• How to lower blood sugar

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