A Research Study to Compare Two Types of Insulin, a New Insulin, Insulin Icodec and an Available Insulin, Insulin Degludec, in People With Type 2 Diabetes Who Have Not Used Insulin Before (ONWARDS 3)
Summary
This study compares insulin icodec (a new insulin taken once a week) to insulin degludec (an insulin taken once daily which is already available on the market) in people with type 2 diabetes. The study will look at how well insulin icodec taken weekly controls blood sugar compared to insulin degludec taken daily. Participants will get their study medicine in an injection pen. Participants will get a pen for weekly injection and one for daily injection. One will be icodec or degludec and the other will be dummy medicine. The treatment participants get is decided by chance. Participants and the study staff will not know which active medicine they get. The insulin is injected with a needle in a skin fold in the thigh. The study could last for about 8 months. Participants will have 13 clinic visits and 17 phone calls with the study doctor. At 8 clinic visits participants will have blood samples taken. At 4 clinic visits participants cannot eat or drink (except for water) for 8 hours before the visit. Women cannot take part if pregnant, breast-feeding or plan to become pregnant during the study period.
Timeline
- Start
- 2021-03-24
- Primary completion
- 2022-06-23
- Completion
- 2022-06-23
Publications
- Results Philis-Tsimikas A, Bajaj HS, Begtrup K, Cailleteau R, Gowda A, Lingvay I, Mathieu C, Russell-Jones D, Rosenstock J. Rationale and design of the phase 3a development programme (ONWARDS 1-6 trials) investigating once-weekly insulin icodec in diabetes. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023 Feb;25(2):331-341. doi: 10.1111/dom.14871. Epub 2022 Oct 14.
- Philis-Tsimikas A, Krogsdahl Bache J, Fu A, Kellerer M, Salvesen-Sykes K, Bain SC. Insights on Hospitalisations from the Phase 3a ONWARDS 1-6 Trials of Once-Weekly Insulin Icodec. Diabetes Ther. 2025 Aug;16(8):1615-1631. doi: 10.1007/s13300-025-01745-4. Epub 2025 Jun 4.
- Riddell MC, Heller S, Carstensen L, Rocha TMP, Kehlet Watt S, Woo VC. The effect of once-weekly insulin icodec vs once-daily basal insulin on physical activity-attributed hypoglycaemia in type 2 diabetes: a post hoc analysis of ONWARDS 1-5. Diabetologia. 2025 Jul;68(7):1416-1422. doi: 10.1007/s00125-025-06414-6. Epub 2025 Apr 5.
- Li Y, Kar S, Li C, Liu M, Luan Z, Yuan G, Zhong X, Mu Y. Once-Weekly Insulin Icodec Versus Once-Daily Insulin Degludec in Insulin-Naive Chinese Participants with Type 2 Diabetes: A Post Hoc Analysis of ONWARDS 3. Diabetes Ther. 2025 Apr;16(4):685-699. doi: 10.1007/s13300-025-01701-2. Epub 2025 Feb 28.
- Lingvay I, Asong M, Desouza C, Gourdy P, Kar S, Vianna A, Vilsboll T, Vinther S, Mu Y. Once-Weekly Insulin Icodec vs Once-Daily Insulin Degludec in Adults With Insulin-Naive Type 2 Diabetes: The ONWARDS 3 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2023 Jul 18;330(3):228-237. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.11313.
Drugs
| Evaluation | Drug | Modality | Dose | Route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Insulin icodec | Protein / enzyme biologic | — | Subcutaneous |
| Subject | insulin degludec | Protein / enzyme biologic | — | Subcutaneous |