More About a New Diabetes Drug

New diabetes drug research explained clearly here, to make your life better. Both the Huffington Post and WebMD reported the new drug for use in type 2 diabetes.

It is a new treatment for diabetes because it is an injectable drug that is not insulin. On January 26, 2010, the Danish company, Novo Nordisk announced:

• Victoza is the trade name for liraglutide.
• The FDA approved its use in the U.S.
• It is for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

“Diabetes is a leading cause of death and disability, with more than 1.5 million new cases diagnosed annually.” (Mary Parks, MD, FDA, 2010) The use of Victoza can help people with type 2 diabetes to control their blood sugar levels, and thereby, prevent complications.

How It Works

Hormones are chemicals produced by glands in the body, such as the pancreas. The stomach releases the hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP -1), after eating. It stimulates the release of insulin from the pancreas.

Researchers discovered that people with type 2 diabetes do not release adequate amounts of GLP-1. Therefore, there is less insulin and that means higher glucose levels in the blood. Liraglutide or Victoza, restores more normal insulin responses. It helps control blood glucose levels.

This new treatment for diabetes is helpful for patients who fail to show improvement with the older oral medications. They include metformin, glyburide, Actos and others.

Added Advantages

Liraglutide helped people lose weight! Because type 2 diabetes is growing at alarming rates, this new treatment for diabetes is great news!

Having type 2 diabetes doubles your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Liraglutide may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s through its effect on insulin. Insulin helps maintain the growth and vitality of neurons in the brain. The neurons are the nerve cells in your brain.

Insulin has an anti-inflammatory effect in brain tissue. It helps the brain get rid of amyloid proteins that cause Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, GLP-1 stimulates the growth of neurons in brain tissue. It prevents the death of neurons exposed to amyloid proteins.

FDA Approval

The FDA approved Victoza based on 5 clinical trials. They involved more than 3.900 patients. Pancreatitis occurred more often in the group receiving liraglutide. The researchers state to use caution in patients with a history of pancreatitis.

The most common side effects were a headache and nausea. Victoza showed no links to cardiovascular disease. That includes heart attack, stroke and death. Researchers will study Victoza further to check for cardiovascular safety.

In animal studies, Victoza caused thyroid tumors in the mice and rats. The animals received 8 times the normal adult dose. Further studies are planned.

New Drug Waiting Approval

There is new drug, Byetta LAR, that is hoping for FDA approval. It is unusual because it is long-acting. You inject the drug once a week. Two companies, Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly manufacture and sell Byetta.

This drug’s prospects look good based on the approval of Victoza. Both Byetta and Victoza are similar to the human hormone, GLP-1. It boosts insulin production to regulate blood sugar levels. Byetta was the first drug like this. Other companies are targeting the same mechanism.

Analysts are predicting sales of $3 billion in the U.S. alone.

Conclusion

Although there is no type 2 diabetes cure, new drugs hold promise for better management of type 2 diabetes. The next time you visit your doctor ask him about the new drugs. He may have an opinion about them. Hopefully you now understand the new diabetes drug and how it works. Let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Margaret Stenerson
March 10, 2010