ASweetLife Team, Author at ASweetLife

Diabetes Epidemic in the Middle East

The New York Times reported on the rapidly growing diabetes epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa and the financial burden of health care costs to the region’s governments. Six countries in the region are among the top 10 globally with the highest prevalence of diabetes. They include the United Arab Emirates, showing the second-highest rate in the world — behind only the tiny Pacific island state of Nauru — followed by Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia...

Sanofi-aventis and UCSF to Collaborate on Development of Diabetes Therapies

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and sanofi-aventis have formed two new research and development collaborations that join together leaders from academia and industry to more rapidly advance groundbreaking innovation from the lab to the patient. The first collaboration promotes innovative research in pharmacological science and in multiple therapeutic areas, such as oncology, aging, diabetes and inflammation...

Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim to Develop and Market New Diabetes Drugs

Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim announced a global agreement to jointly develop and commercialize a portfolio of diabetes compounds currently in mid- and late-stage development. Included are Boehringer Ingelheim's two oral diabetes agents—linagliptin and BI10773—as well as Lilly's two basal insulin analogues—LY2605541 and LY2963016—as well as the option to co-develop and co-commercialize Lilly's anti-TGF-beta monoclonal antibody....

Biocon Oral Insulin Shows Promise in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Biocon Ltd., India's largest biotechnology company, released preliminary data from a recently concluded clinical study conducted in India, on IN-105, its novel oral insulin candidate for the treatment of diabetes. The study included 264 patients poorly controlled on metformin, who were randomly chosen receive either IN-105 or placebo...

New Type 2 Diabetes Drug Kombiglyze XR Now Available Across the US

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca announced that type 2 diabetes drug Kombiglyze XR (saxagliptin and metformin HCl extended-release), approved by the FDA on November 5, 2010, is now available by prescription in pharmacies across the United States. Kombiglyze XR is the first and only once-a-day metformin extended-release (XR) plus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor combination tablet offering strong glycemic...

Novartis Drug Lucentis Approved by EU Commission for Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema

The European Commission has granted Novartis a new indication for Lucentis (ranibizumab) to treat patients with visual impairment due to diabetic macular edema (DME) following two Novartis-sponsored clinical trials, RESTORE and RESOLVE. The trials showed that Lucentis was superior in providing rapid and sustained visual acuity gain versus placebo therapy or laser therapy..

Positive Results for Oral Insulin Delivery in Pre-Clinical Trials

MonoSol Rx and Midatech Group Ltd. anounced positive results from pre-clinical proof-of-concept studies for oral insulin delivery in Rhesus monkey studies and hope to begin human trials in 2011. The two companies are developing insulin PharmFilm under a partnership that leverages MonoSol Rx’s...

Almonds May Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Consuming an almond-enriched diet may help improve insulin sensitivity and decrease LDL-cholesterol levels in those with prediabetes, a new study shows. In the study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, the authors tested the hypothesis that in adults with prediabetes,an almond-enriched American Diabetes Association (ADA) dietimproves measures of insulin sensitivity and other cardiovascularrisk factors compared with an ADA nut-free diet.

FDA Informs Mannkind It Needs More Time to Review AFREZZA NDA

The FDA informed MannKind Corporation that it would not be able to complete the review of the New Drug Application (NDA) for AFREZZA (insulin human [rDNA origin]) Inhalation Powder by the action date of December 29, 2010. The FDA stated that it will require approximately four additional weeks to complete its review of the NDA...

New Novo Nordisk Insulin Reduces Risk of Nighttime Hypoglycemia, New Studies Show

Novo Nordisk's ultra long-acting basal insulin Degludec significantly reduces risk of hypoglycemia during the night compared to insulin glargine, according to two long-term studies. The company announced the clinical results from two 52-week phase 3a treat-to-target studies comparing Degludec to insulin glargine in basal-bolus treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes...