Developers of a non-insulin drug for diabetes have announced that the wellbeing of people with diabetes may be improved, as four Phase 3 clinical trials have produced patients with decreased blood-sugar levels.
The drug was developed by Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH and Eli Lilly & Co (LLY), who also announced that their two-year partnership in the field of diabetes wellness has also changed. Boehringer Ingelheim has decided to end its involvement in the development of a different drug, an investigative form of insulin, and so Lilly will receive the full rights of the insulin product, though the companies will proceed to work together on other medications.
Drugs like this one are called SGLT2 inhibitors, because they block sodium glucose co-transporter 2 in your kidneys, which means that if you have type 2 diabetes, your blood sugar levels will be reduced because the sugar will not be re-absorbed and will also be excreted in your urine. However, the SGLT2 class has been associated with genital infections, causing analysts to be concerned with commercial possibilities, yet according to Lilly and BI, empagliflozin and a placebo had comparable negative health effects during their clinical trials.
The release of this drug will now set the stage for an industry showdown for the top spot in alternative diabetes treatments. Lilly’s drug, empagliflozin, will be submitted for approval in Europe, Japan, and the US this year, whereas a comparable medication from Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), canagliflozin, will be assessed this week by an FDA advisory committee and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) have developed a drug in the same class, known as Forxiga or dapagliflozin, which has already been approved in Europe. Though this drug was rejected by the FDA in the US last year, the companies are still hopeful that it will be approved soon.
However, if you do have type 2 diabetes, and are considering this type of drug, be wary because, aside from genital infections, liver toxicity and an increased risk of certain cancers have been linked to SGLT2 inhibitors. FDA analysts noted this for the Bristol-Myers/AstraZeneca drug, dapagliflozin, and regulators in Europe said they would also keep an eye on it, though they believe the advantages of dapagliflozin are much greater than the risks.
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