Weekly type 2 diabetes jab could replace daily injections

Hundreds of thousands of people with type 2 diabetes could get access to a new weekly insulin jab to replace daily injections, reducing the number needed each year by 86%.

Patients still have to wait for the treatment to be approved by the medicines regulator before it is made available on the NHS.

The treatment is said to work as well as daily insulin jabs but only needs to be injected once a week.

The charity Diabetes UK says it will help people manage their condition better, especially those who have extra care needs and who require help to inject every day.

Around 4.7 million people in the UK were living with diabetes in 2024-25, of which roughly 90% had type 2.

The condition means the body can't make enough of a hormone called insulin, or the insulin it makes doesn't work properly - also known as insulin resistance.

Diabetes UK says that around 1 in 4 people with type 2 diabetes takes insulin.

Moving from daily injections to a weekly jab is most likely to benefit those who need help with their injections.