Mexico first country to launch Ryzodeg®

Mexico first country to launch Ryzodeg®

Bagsværd, Denmark, 1 September 2014 - Novo Nordisk today announced that in Mexico, as the first country in the world, Ryzodeg® is now launched and made available for people with type 2 diabetes. Ryzodeg® is a combination of two distinct insulin analogues (insulin degludec and insulin aspart in the ratio of 70% and 30%), making it the first combination of a basal insulin with an ultra-long duration of action and a well-established mealtime insulin in one pen for people with type 2 diabetes1-3.

Ryzodeg® offers adults with type 2 diabetes successful reductions in HbA1c1,3-5, with lower risk of hypoglycaemia versus biphasic insulin aspart 303,4[*]. As Ryzodeg® is a combination product it requires fewer daily injections than administering basal and mealtime insulin in separate injections.

"Ryzodeg® is a new approach to diabetes management, and we are very pleased to make it available now for people with diabetes. Ryzodeg® has documented excellent glucose control and a low risk of hypoglycaemia in clinical trials, and it represents an excellent opportunity for intensification of insulin treatment with fewer injections than other treatment options," said Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, executive vice president and chief science officer of Novo Nordisk.

Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease6, which means some patients will need to eventually intensify insulin treatment by adding mealtime insulin - bolus therapy - to achieve or maintain their glycaemic targets over time6. Studies have shown that more than 50% of people with type 2 diabetes on basal insulin are not achieving their glycaemic targets as measured by HbA1c7-9.

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 mortality10,11. In Mexico, where 8.7 million people live with diabetes12, the number of diabetes-related deaths was 70,281 in 201313.

Novo Nordisk expects to make Ryzodeg® available in additional countries around the world within the next year.

About Ryzodeg®

In a multinational trial, Ryzodeg® (insulin degludec/insulin aspart) delivered twice daily at main meals offered a successful reduction in HbA1c1,3 with lower risk of hypoglycaemia versus biphasic insulin aspart 30 in people with type 2 diabetes, showing a3:

- 32% lower risk of overall confirmed hypoglycaemia·        

- 73% lower risk of nocturnal confirmed hypoglycaemia

In other studies no apparent differences were shown between Ryzodeg® and its comparators, with respect to adverse events and standard safety parameters3,5,14,15.

Ryzodeg® has been approved in Aruba, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, the EU, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Korea and Switzerland.

About the clinical trial programme

The clinical trial programmes for insulin degludec (BEGIN®) and Ryzodeg® (BOOST®) comprise the largest in the field of insulin therapy, including more than 11,000 people. Novo Nordisk completed the phase 3a BOOST® programme in 2010. This programme consisted of six randomised, controlled, treat-to-target trials in more than 30 countries. More than 2000 people were included in the development programme. The programme was designed after consultancy with regulatory agencies in Europe, Japan and USA.

About Novo Nordisk

Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. Novo Nordisk employs approximately 40,700 employees in 75 countries, and markets its products in more than 180 countries.

Further information

Media:
Katrine Sperling +45 4442 6718 [email protected]
Investors:
Kasper Roseeuw Poulsen +45 3079 4303 [email protected]
Jannick Lindegaard DenholtDaniel BohsenFrank Daniel Mersebach (US)    +45 3079 8519+45 3079 6376+1 609 235 8567 [email protected]@nov