We welcome new guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that mark an important shift in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
These guidelines propose expanding access to newer diabetes medicines called SGLT2 inhibitors (these include the drugs canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, and ertugliflozin) from being second-choice treatments to first-choice treatments.
Additionally, more people would benefit earlier from treatment with GLP-1 agonists, such as liraglutide or semaglutide.
Type 2 diabetes is complex and the new guidelines recommend that treatment is more individualised based on people’s clinical needs and their specific circumstances.
They also say that prescriptions of treatments should be monitored to see who may not be getting access to them and action taken to tackle any inequities.
We have been key stakeholders for this consultation and support the use of more effective treatments earlier to help people avoid diabetes complications, with a more personalised approach tailored to individual needs.
The updated type 2 diabetes guidelines have been published on the NICE website.
We will be working with NICE, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to ensure that they are implemented widely so that everyone with type 2 diabetes can benefit from the best treatment for them.
Douglas Twenefour, Head of Clinical at Diabetes UK, said:
"This welcome guidance will transform treatment for people living with type 2 diabetes across the UK. Providing earlier access to vital drugs that protect the heart and kidneys from serious diabetes-related complications is a major step towards reducing the harm caused by this relentless condition.
"The shift towards a more personalised approach will help more people get the right treatment for them, at the right time. Monitoring the uptake of medicines, to ensure that those who could benefit receive them, will help address the unacceptable inequities in type 2 diabetes treatments and outcomes that still persist."
