The FDA approves the first once-weekly insulin for children with type 2 diabetes
Awiqli, insulin icodec, is now cleared for patients 10 and older with type 2 diabetes, along with diet and exercise. It replaces a daily basal shot with one a week.
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The Food and Drug Administration has approved Awiqli, insulin icodec-abae, for children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes. It is a long-acting insulin analog given as a once-weekly injection under the skin, and it is approved as an addition to diet and exercise. The same drug was already cleared for adults earlier in 2026. For children with type 2 diabetes, it is the first basal insulin that can be taken weekly instead of every day. It does not replace mealtime insulin for patients who still need a shot with food, and it is not a cure.
The most common adverse reaction is hypoglycemia. A severe low can cause seizures, unconsciousness, or death. The FDA also warns about dosing errors, because the FlexTouch pen is measured differently from other insulins, and about high blood sugar, low potassium, and fluid retention or heart failure when the drug is used with a thiazolidinedione. The review was a priority review. The practical change, for a child who qualifies, is seven basal injections a week becoming one.
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