What if you could take your basal insulin once a week instead of every day? Once-weekly basal insulin offers a new approach that could make insulin therapy simpler while providing glucose control comparable to daily basal insulin.

In this episode, Dr. Steve Edelman is joined by Dr. Athena Philis-Tsimikas, a leading diabetes researcher who has been directly involved in clinical trials of once-weekly basal insulins. Together, they explain how these ultra-long-acting insulins work, how a single injection can provide steady background insulin throughout an entire week, and what studies have shown when once-weekly insulin is compared with traditional daily basal insulin.

They also discuss at how once-weekly insulin could make diabetes management easier. Going from seven basal injections a week to just one could help reduce some of the daily burden of diabetes and make it easier to consistently take your insulin. Together, they explore using weekly insulin alongside GLP-1 medications, potential combination therapies, cost and access, and what we still need to learn as these newer insulins move from clinical trials into everyday diabetes care.