Liraglutide/Victoza gains approval for diabetes treatment

Liraglutide, also known as Victoza, has gained approval from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, it has been revealed. The organisatio, which provides national guidance on the promotion of good health and the treatment of ill health, has issued new guidelines for the drug in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
NICE has instructed Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in the NHS to come up with compulsory funding for Liraglutide within three months so that it is available for all those with type 2 diabetes that meet NICE recommendations as a dual or triple therapy with an oral treatment .
Liraglutide is a single daily injectable treatment which helps glycaemic control by stimulating the insulin release when glucose levels reach too high a level, and it also lowers appetite. NICE has stipulated that Liraglutide should be continued only if blood glucose levels come down within six months, and those who have the triple therapy are able to lose three per cent of their initial body weight .
Stella Valerkou, senior policy officer at the charity Diabetes UK, commented “We welcome the fact that NICE guidance will help to standardise availability of Liraglutide (Victoza) on the NHS as it means another treatment option is available to support people with Type 2 diabetes to manage their condition.”
She added “We also welcome the recommendations that mean Liraglutide could be available earlier in the treatment process, increasing the choices for people with Type 2 diabetes.”