Novo Nordisk launches Tresiba

KUWAIT: Novo Nordisk has launched Tresiba (insulin degludec) in Kuwait. Tresiba is a once-daily basal insulin for people with diabetes that successfully achieves equivalent reductions in blood glucose levels, with a lower risk of nocturnal hypoglycaemia versus insulin glargine. Tresiba allows for flexibility in day-to-day dosing time, when needed without compromising efficacy or risk of hypoglycaemia.

One of the key challenges with insulin therapy is the risk of hypoglycaemia, when blood glucose levels fall to lower than normal levels, causing unpleasant symptoms, such as dizziness and confusion, unconsciousness and sometimes leads to death. Research shows that fears and concerns about hypoglycaemia can interfere with achieving optimal glycaemic control in people with diabetes using insulin8. Hypoglycaemia that occurs at night is of particular concern9 for people living with diabetes, as it is unpredictable and difficult to detect.

Results from studies over a two-year period show Tresiba successfully achieves equivalent reductions in HbA, but with a lower risk of nocturnal hypoglycaemia compared to insulin glargine.

"Maintaining good blood glucose control with insulin treatment can be challenging for healthcare professionals and patients due to concerns over hypoglycaemia and nighttime hypoglycaemia in particular. Tresiba(r) has shown less risk of nocturnal hypoglycaemia than the most widely used basal insulin," said Akin Aksekili, General Manager Novo Nordisk Gulf. "Tresiba can be administered at any time of the day, offering flexible dosing when needed. This flexibility could help improve the lives of patients, as poor insulin adherence contributes to poor glycaemic control." said Dr Waleed Al-Dahi - President of Kuwait Diabetes Society and Consultant Endocrinologist at Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital.

Complications from diabetes caused by failing to keep optimal glycaemic control can be serious, and may include problems such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage and premature mortality. In Kuwait, where almost 400,000 people live with diabetes, 35.2 percent of these patients with diabetes are still undiagnosed and the percentage of diabetes-related deaths that occur in people under 60 years were 47 percent in 2015.