LONDON — Hundreds of thousands of people with type 2 diabetes could eventually be offered a weekly insulin jab instead of daily injections, after the treatment won initial approval from Nice. The drug, called Onswik and made by Eli Lilly, is said to work as well as current daily insulin injections while reducing the number of jabs needed each year by 86%.
The treatment is not yet available on the NHS. It must first be licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency before health services can start planning for rollout.
Diabetes UK said the change could make day-to-day management easier for patients who struggle with frequent injections or need extra support to take their medicine.
Why the weekly injection could matter for patients with extra care needs
Charity and clinical experts say the main benefit is likely to be greater flexibility. People who are frailer, have sight loss, limited hand movement or learning disabilities could find a weekly dose much easier to manage than a daily routine.
It may also help those who find the steps involved in injecting difficult, or who have trouble sticking to treatment. Diabetes UK said moving to a once-weekly option could improve quality of life for some patients, especially where carers, family members or healthcare staff currently help with injections.
Douglas Twenefour, the charity’s head of clinical, said anyone who could benefit should be supported by their healthcare team to make informed decisions. He also said the treatment could help reduce inequalities in diabetes care.
What Nice has said about the evidence and NHS funding
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said the recommendation could make a real difference to people with type 2 diabetes, particularly those who rely on someone else to help them inject. She said the decision was based on rigorous evidence and was intended to balance patient benefit against the need to use limited NHS funding well.
Nice is the body that decides what medicines and treatments should be made available on the NHS in England. Its guidance is often followed in Wales as well, although that is not automatic in every part of the UK.
In Northern Ireland, guidance is reviewed by the Department of Health, while in Scotland the process is handled by the Scottish Medicines Consortium. That means access to the new jab could still vary between the nations once the drug is licensed.
How many people with diabetes could be affected in the UK
About 4.7 million people in the UK were living with diabetes in 2024-25, and roughly 90% had type 2 diabetes. The condition means the body does not make enough insulin, or the insulin it does make does not work properly.
Diabetes UK says around one in four people with type 2 diabetes takes insulin. That suggests the weekly injection could be relevant to a substantial number of patients if it is approved and adopted in routine care.
The charity said the new treatment may be particularly helpful for people who need support every day, but it stressed that access still depends on the MHRA decision before NHS rollout can begin.
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