Weekly type 2 diabetes jab could replace daily injections

Once-weekly insulin jab could slash annual injections by 86% for type 2 diabetes patients

Ninoda.com – Hundreds of thousands of people managing type 2 diabetes in the UK may soon switch from daily insulin shots to a single weekly injection. The new regimen, which performs comparably to conventional daily jabs, would cut the number of annual injections by roughly 86%.

However, patients cannot yet access the therapy on the NHS. Final clearance from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) — the medicines regulator — remains outstanding before any rollout can begin.

Who would benefit most

Diabetes UK estimates that approximately one in four people with type 2 diabetes currently relies on insulin. The charity highlights that the weekly option would be particularly valuable for individuals with additional care needs: frailer patients, those living with sight loss, restricted hand mobility, or learning disabilities, and anyone who finds the multi-step daily injection process difficult to follow or sustain.

The condition itself means the body either produces insufficient insulin or the hormone it does produce fails to act effectively — a state termed insulin resistance. In 2024-25, around 4.7 million people in the UK were living with diabetes, roughly 90% of whom had the type 2 form.

Reactions from Diabetes UK and NICE

Douglas Twenefour, head of clinical at Diabetes UK, commented on the potential impact:

“For some, especially those with additional care needs, moving from daily insulin injections to a once-weekly option could help manage their diabetes more easily, improving their quality of life.”

“It’s essential that everyone who could benefit is supported by their healthcare team to make informed decisions, and that this treatment helps reduce inequities in diabetes care.”

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), described the approval as potentially making a “real difference to the day-to-day lives of people with type 2 diabetes, especially those who rely on a carer, family member or healthcare professional to help them inject.”

“This recommendation is the result of rigorous, evidence-based decision making, striking a balance between the benefits to patients and the best use of limited NHS funding.”

Regulatory pathway and NHS implementation

NICE — the body tasked with determining which treatments should be funded on the NHS — has issued its initial recommendation. Yet before any patient can receive the weekly jab through NHS channels, the MHRA must grant a marketing licence. Health officials have stated they are awaiting that ruling “to understand whether it could be rolled out on the NHS.”

NICE guidance governs NHS England directly. The NHS in Wales frequently adopts the same recommendations, though not automatically. In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium manages its own appraisal process, while Northern Ireland’s Department of Health conducts a separate review before any adoption.