NICE Backs Weekly Insulin Jab for Type 2 Diabetes, Cutting Injections by 86%
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 20
NICE Backs Weekly Insulin Jab for Type 2 Diabetes, Cutting Injections by 86%
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 20
Summary
Hundreds of thousands of UK patients with type 2 diabetes moved closer to a once-weekly insulin option after NICE recommended the treatment for NHS use.
An annual switch from daily shots to the weekly jab would cut injections by 86%, and NICE said it works as well as existing daily insulin treatment.
The treatment still cannot be offered on the NHS until the MHRA grants a licence, with health officials waiting for that ruling before any rollout.
Diabetes UK said the jab could especially help people who rely on carers or struggle with daily injections; about 1 in 4 people with type 2 diabetes use insulin.
Around 4.7 million people in the UK had diabetes in 2024-25, roughly 90% of them type 2, giving the decision potentially broad reach beyond England because Wales often follows NICE guidance.