Novo Nordisk to discontinue Human Mixtard, India’s largest selling insulin brand

Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk is discontinuing the country’s largest selling insulin, Human Mixtard, along with other insulins. The move could shake up the diabetes market, TOI reported.

Despite it being under price control, Human Mixtard alone is a Rs 800 crore brand for the company in India. The phase out could further impact the pharmaceutical’s top brands in the Rs 5,000 crore insulin market including Actrapid, Insulatard, Insulin Detemir and Levemir and Xultophy, which are marketed primarily in the format of pre-filled disposable pen and cartridges (Penfill and FlexPen).

TOI accessed documents that said the company recently informed marketing partner, Abbott India that the products would be discontinued once the current stocks are exhausted. This could take about six months.

The decision comes as the Danish company’s global strategy to prioritise newer, patented diabetes and weight loss therapies including Ozempic and Wegovy, due to their higher profitability, sources told TOI. It also is in line with its plans to introduce these therapies in the Indian market this year.

Novo Nordisk, as a part of its global strategy is discontinuing earlier generation insulin products gradually.

However, the company plans to continue selling Human Mixtard, Actrapid and Insulatard, in vials, which can be delivered to patients through injections. This might lead to limited access as insulin delivery from pen devices is preferred by a huge majority of diabetics over vials injected with syringes, due to its accuracy, ease of dosing, and reduced stigma.

(With TOI inputs)