By Armen Hareyan for EmaxHealth.com

A once-daily injection for type 2 diabetes treatment, liraglutide (Victoza), is now being recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). An increase in obesity rates and poor diet has caused an increase in diabetes across the U.S. and U.K. sparking a demand for diabetes research and new diabetes treatment drug innovations. Patients who are unable to control their diabetes with current available treatments could find relief in liraglutide.

Eligibility for the drug is limited to overweight diabetes patients only, with a body mass index (BMI) of 35kg/m. “Controlling hyperglycaemia and its indicators is not easy. The addition of liraglutide to our formulary will be welcome by patients and will go a long way to helping them achieve their glycaemic goals,” Dr George Kassianos, a member of the British Cardiovascular Society and a GP in Berkshire. He sees the approval as a “welcome” development for primary care physicians.