USFDA approves safer diabetes drug which acts on
kidneys
A
novel anti-diabetic drug that lowers blood glucose levels by acting on the
kidneys, instead of the liver or the pancreas, has been approved by the USFDA.
The
drug, Invokana (Canagliflozin), works by blocking the reabsorption of glucose
by the kidney, increasing glucose excretion and lowering blood glucose levels
in diabetics. Its safety and effectiveness were evaluated in nine clinical
trials involving over 10,285 patients with type 2 diabetes.
However,
FDA has asked for some more safety data from the drug company, Janssen
Pharmaceuticals, including a cardiovascular outcomes trial, an enhanced
pharmacovigilance programme to monitor for malignancies, serious cases of
pancreatitis, severe hypersensitivity reactions/photosensitivity reactions,
liver abnormalities, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. It has also asked for a
bone safety study.
While
there are concerns about the cardiovascular and other side-effects of
Canagliflozin, the uniqueness of its mechanism of action is expected to spawn a
few more of its kind over the next few years.
While
marvelling at the uniqueness of Canagliflozin, doctors in India are cautious in
their prognosis for its future not just because of the side-effects but also
because some of them feel the action through the kidneys is in itself a
limiting factor in the efficacy of the drug.
It
is only in combination with other drugs with different modes of action that it
may achieve good results, they say. However, the possibility of combination
drug therapy means that at least some diabetics who are on insulin can take a
break from the daily needle pricks.
"Canagliflozin
acts through the kidneys and therefore also has a role in weight loss which is
vital for diabetes patients. In normal circumstances, kidneys resist removal of
glucose from the body until the blood sugar reaches a very high level,"
said Dr Anoop Misra, chairman of Fortis C-DOC Centre of Excellence for
Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology.
"This
drug modifies that mechanism and enables excretion of glucose even when blood
glucose level is relatively low. In combination with existing drugs, it may
help get at least some patients off insulin therapy but it elevates chances of
urinary infection," he said.
02.04.2013
Vitamin D may lower diabetes risk in obese kids
Vitamin
D supplements can help obese children and teens control their blood-sugar
levels, which helps stave off diabetes, scientists say.
Being
obese puts individuals at greater risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, a
disease in which individuals have too much sugar in their blood.University of
Missouri researchers studied 35 pre-diabetic obese children and adolescents who
were undergoing treatment in the MU Adolescent Diabetic Obesity Programme.
"By
increasing vitamin D intake alone, we got a response that was nearly as
powerful as what we have seen using a prescription drug," said Catherine
Peterson, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at MU.
"We
saw a decrease in insulin levels, which means better glucose control, despite
no changes in body weight, dietary intake or physical activity," Peterson
said.
All
of those in the study had insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels and had
similar diets and activity levels. Study participants randomly were assigned
either a high-dose vitamin D supplement or a placebo that they took daily for
six months.
Those
who took the supplement became vitamin D sufficient and lowered the amount of
insulin in their blood. "The vitamin D dosage we gave to the obese
adolescents in our study is not something I would recommend for everyone,"
Peterson said.
Vitamin
D helps maintain healthy bones, muscles and nerves and enters bodies through
sunlight exposure, diet or supplements. Vitamin D insufficiency is common;
however, it can be more detrimental to those who are obese, Peterson said.
"What makes vitamin D insufficiency different in obese individuals is that
they process vitamin D about half as efficiently as normal-weight people,"
Peterson said.
Adding
vitamin D supplements is a natural, inexpensive way to help obese children and
teens decrease their odds of developing diabetes and avoid the side effects that
might come from taking prescriptions to control their blood sugar, Peterson
said. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
02.04.2013
No comments:
Post a Comment