MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'diabetes drugs'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:18:15 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050914&cid=t_107466_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FO712DJOvAhQ%2F Very interesting new data reinforcing two main themes we have been analyzing for a while: 1) We better start paying serious attention (and R&D dollars) to lifestyle-based and non-invasive cognitive and emotional health interventions, which are mostly ignored in favor of invasive, drug-based options 2) Interventions will need to be personalized. The study below analyzes data at the country level, but the same logic applies to the individual level Many fear Alzheimer’s, want to be tested: survey (Reuters): - “The telephone survey of 2,678 adults aged 18 and older in the United States, France, Germany, Spain and Poland was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Alzheimer Europe, with funding by Bayer AG” - “When asked to identify the most feared disea... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050914 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:26:15 +0100 5050914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050517&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FCDh_46bNdEU%2F Drug Vote: An FDA advisory panel voted 9-6 against approving dapagliflozin, a new type of diabetes drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca, saying more information is needed on possible risks including breast and bladder cancers, the WSJ reports. Some panel members, however, said teasing out those possible safety problems would be best accomplished not by requiring more studies before approval, but by using post-marketing studies and patient registries. The FDA often, but not always, follows the advice of its outside panels. VC Dollars: Venture-capital investors invested $1.24 billion in biotech companies during the second quarter, 46% more than in the first quarter, Bloomberg News reports, citing a report from the National Venture Capital Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mea... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050517 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:25:51 +0100 5050517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008125&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FX3sqYp9NFv8%2F Surgical Threat?: U.S. officials are warning that terrorists are considering surgically implanting explosive devices in would-be suicide bombers, who then might board planes; surgeons tell the WSJ the medical procedure itself wouldn’t be that difficult. Breast, pectoral or buttock implants could be filled with liquid explosives and explosive implants could be placed in the chest cavity or elsewhere, experts tell the paper. Plea Deal: Canadian physician Anthony Galea pleaded guilty to charges that he brought human growth hormone into the U.S. with the intent of using it in unapproved ways to treat pro athletes, the New York Times reports. Galea also admitted to carrying in a derivative of calf’s blood –  unapproved in the U.S. — that he also used to help athletes re... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008125 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:54:41 +0100 5008125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975822&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FheOl2vQ08lE%2F Avastin Arguments: At an FDA appeals hearing tomorrow and Wednesday, Roche’s Genentech unit will argue that the conditional approval for its drug Avastin to be used against breast cancer shouldn’t be pulled, despite evidence showing it doesn’t help patients live any longer and carries the risk of serious side effects, the WSJ reports. FDA head Margaret Hamburg will ultimately make the decision about the drug, which is already approved for use in other cancers. Sprouts, Again: The deadly E. coli strain implicated in the German outbreak that killed 43 people has now popped up in France, though authorities say it appears to be an isolated instance, the New York Times reports. Once again, the illness is linked to sprouts; seven people were in the hospital as of Sunday, the NY... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975822 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:34:33 +0100 4975822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968449&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F3bKtGFhC-I0%2F Generic Distinction: The Supreme Court ruled that makers of generic drugs, unlike their counterparts making the branded versions, aren’t liable for medication injuries that could have been avoided by an updated warning label, the WSJ reports. The logic: branded drugs are required by law to demonstrate safety and effectiveness and to have a label with adequate, up-to-date information, while generic drugs only have to be equivalent to the branded version and  must carry the same label as the brand, the paper says. Separately, the court ruled that Vermont can’t outlaw the sale of physicians’ prescribing data to drug makers. A Call for Sleep: A report by physicians and sleep experts published in Nature and Science of Sleep calls for all U.S. trainee doctors’ work hours... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968449 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:04:57 +0100 4968449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960015&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FbJ66k7H6Mak%2F Drug Vote: An FDA advisory panel voted not to recommend approval of Novartis’s Ilaris for gout pain, though it did say the drug is effective, the WSJ reports. Safety concerns, specifically the risk of serious infections, gave committee members pause, but several said it might be possible for the drug to be approved with restrictions, the paper says. The FDA often but not always follows the advice of its outside panels. Diabetes Risk?: A JAMA study of previously published research suggests high doses of cholesterol-reducing statin drugs may slightly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the New York Times reports. Experts tell the paper that statins still have a net benefit given that they can help cut the risk of heart attack and stroke, but that more study is needed on th... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960015 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:04:45 +0100 4960015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921376&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Flmqf9LaNARY%2F “Non” and “Nein” on Actos: France and Germany have halted the use of Takeda’s diabetes drug Actos, also known as pioglitazone, after a study suggested it could raise the risk of bladder cancer, Dow Jones Newswires reports. The European Medicines Agency is doing its own safety review, and the FDA is conducting an observational study of the drug, DJN reports. Reuters notes that other individual European countries have not followed France’s and Germany’s lead. Unaware?: The health-care overhaul law entitles about 44 million people to an external review of denied insurance claims, but most plans won’t be required to tell them about that right until next year, Kaiser Health News reports. That means some consumers may stay in the dark about their a... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921376 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:42:16 +0100 4921376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911445&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FgqvoJ2DpJw4%2F Among the efforts to prevent Type 1 diabetes mentioned in today’s WSJ In the Lab Column is one recently launched trial that focuses on an experimental compound called teplizumab. The drug is also being developed by biotech Macrogenics as a possible treatment for diabetes, though last year, the company announced that the compound failed to meet its primary endpoint in a late-stage trial for that purpose. Despite that development, researchers remain excited about the potential of teplizumab to delay the onset of diabetes in people at high risk of developing the condition. Animal studies suggest the drug works by damping down the effect of harmful immune cells that attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Theoretically, the earlier in the disease process that it’s administe... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911445 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:04:12 +0100 4911445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337903&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FjrjC28C9XX4%2F The companies will jointly share the development and marketing costs of at least four diabetes treatments currently in mid- or late-stage trials. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337903 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:57:18 +0100 4337903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294605&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FEHzSq7EVlug%2F MannKind now expects word from the FDA around Jan. 26. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294605 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:49:45 +0100 4294605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225215&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F0whBF5hCpwQ%2F Also: food-safety bill hits a snag; Allergan seeks broader (though thinner) audience for Lap-Band; PhRMA dollars; Merck bets on experimental insulin product. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225215 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:57:40 +0100 4225215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159275&cid=t_107466_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSciencebaseScienceBlog%2F%7E3%2FjTS2f09T_Fw%2Fcanned-heavy-metal-and-more.html My latest science news updates on SpectroscopyNOW – a sneak preview just for you ahead of their going live on 15th November, covering heavy metals in sardines, enzyme inhibitors for pain relief and sleep problems, the possibility of oral insulin without a Trojan horse carrier, and a spectroscopic test for male infertility that could explain the issue problem. Canned heavy metal – Samples of tinned sardines, originating from six countries have been analyzed for total arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury content using spectroscopy. The analysis provides a useful baseline for a foodstuff – small pelagic fish – that could become increasingly important in a possible sustainable future and shows that arsenic rather than mercury could be the main concern in eating such smal... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159275 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:00:27 +0100 4159275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942772&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FKbiGXR-WHno%2F Also: Delayed whooping cough diagnoses; BMJ criticizes Avandia; beliefs about stents. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3942772 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:39:34 +0100 3942772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865243&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FwtCRhagniTY%2F Avandia's back in the spotlight again, thanks to a Time magazine story that says the company's under investigation for holding back data from the FDA. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865243 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:28:37 +0100 3865243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3772218&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FrZoVSPhjKKU%2F Also: hospitals using Tasers; cautious optimism over a possible HIV preventive; end of the line for swine flu pandemic? (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3772218 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:16:27 +0100 3772218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757842&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FPy6BUYDBvR0%2F The FDA advisory panel's crucial vote leaves a lot of room for interpretation, as news headlines show. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757842 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:30:34 +0100 3757842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753788&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fgd0CcaRUdPw%2F On the final vote, most panelists recommended Avandia stay on the market but have more label warnings or a restricted use. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753788 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:16:14 +0100 3753788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753791&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FfwetVFFMCqQ%2F Also: a new head for PhRMA; Maine wants out, temporarily, of one health-overhaul requirement; a union's suit against Pfizer. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753791 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:08:24 +0100 3753791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746717&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FdGBkXazKWxs%2F The resolution to the Avandia brouhaha will be seen as an indicator of how the FDA's new leadership handles safety concerns about drugs that are already on the market. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746717 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:49:30 +0100 3746717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714155&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FNUHm9ZPu3hQ%2F Also: what the FDA should do about Avandia; Merck wins a Vioxx suit; hospital pricing confusion. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714155 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:27:20 +0100 3714155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706653&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F3NAywOUa9Sc%2F Also: companies compete to develop new anthrax vaccine; criticisms of proposed dietary guidelines; an anti-diabetes program seems to work. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706653 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:33:47 +0100 3706653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699471&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FfFe7RfqwEoQ%2F "Medicine might be winning the battle of glucose control, but it is losing the war against diabetes," the authors write. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699471 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:22:42 +0100 3699471 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690818&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FzZ31sZRP0kg%2F Also: another look at the Avandia brouhaha; small businesses and their health-insurance choices; health effects of the Gulf oil spill. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690818 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:17:59 +0100 3690818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581584&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fii2_mTmFogo%2F Also: functional foods may not be so functional; ERs aren't dominated by the uninsured. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581584 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:02:23 +0100 3581584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3501484&cid=t_107466_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fbret-michaels-subarachnoid-hemorrhage-means.html Bret Michaels is in critical condition from a subarachnoid hemorrhage. I’ve been watching Celebrity Apprentice recently, and he comes across as a genuine person who, of course, has been raising awareness for Type 1 diabetes. As most people know, he has battled various diabetic complications on the show, and recently underwent an emergency appendectomy. What’s his prognosis like? Not good, I’m afraid. (...)Read the rest of Bret Michaels has a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and what that means 7 comments | Tags: Diabetes, Drugs, Hospital, Specialist | Category: Diagnosis and treatment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3501484 Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:36:20 +0100 3501484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3482880&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FFCvJJy2DCZI%2F The FDA is considering cutting short a trial comparing the safety of two diabetes drugs — GlaxoSmithKline’s Avandia and Takeda’s Actos, the WSJ reports. Given that Avandia has been linked since 2007 to an increased risk of heart attacks, some scientists have said it’s not ethical to put study participants at risk. If the trial is stopped, the FDA will also consider asking Glaxo to stop selling the drug. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of the FDA, tells the WSJ that no decision on the trial (called TIDE) has been made yet, and won’t be until after a July meeting about the drug. By then the agency will also have the results of an Institute of Medicine review examining the appropriateness of such head-to-head safety trials. The study’s principal investigator says i... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3482880 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:08:13 +0100 3482880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460348&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fmetformin-vs-symlin-for-type-1-diabetes-whatever-works.html Not long ago, I reported here on the possible benefits of Metformin for people with type 1 diabetes. It is of course an oral medication traditionally aimed at type 2 diabetics who are not on insulin.  Today, we revisit that issue with a real live test case — my friend and colleague Allison Blass, who’s [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460348 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:00:19 +0100 3460348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443933&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fthe-jurys-still-out-on-victoza.html Novo Nordisk is well-known in the diabetes community for its insulins, Novolog and Levemir, used to treat mainly type 1 diabetes. But in the last year, Novo launched a new kind of injectable, a “first line of defense for people with type 2 diabetes” called Victoza (generic: liraglutide). It’s a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drug designed [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443933 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:00:37 +0100 3443933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302293&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FADSJ3kkVYvM%2F Diabetes doctors are facing a new round of questions from worried patients after findings of a Senate investigation that renewed concerns about the safety of Avandia. What should the patients do? Dr. Richard Bergenstal, executive director of the International Diabetes Center in Minneapolis, tells the Health Blog that the most important thing is that patients stay on whatever medicines they are taking until talking things through with their doctors. Skipping or dropping treatment altogether could worsen their diabetes. Better they first review their options with their endocrinologist. “There are a lot of medications, and we can discuss the options. The last thing we want is someone to be stressed,” said Dr. Bergenstal, who is also president of medicine and science at the America... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302293 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:23:04 +0100 3302293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3287944&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fflashback-fridday-how-to-start-jogging-in-3-easy-steps.html Time-check: I can’t believe it’s mid (to late) February already! Where do the days go and weeks go?  So, how many of you have left New Year’s Resolutions in the dust yet?  Yeah, life happens.  For those of you whose Resolutions had something to do with starting a new exercise routine, I thought you might [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3287944 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:00:14 +0100 3287944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3216557&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F_qXCXplcnOg%2F Pfizer gave its first pipeline update since it took over Wyeth in October. Bottom line: The company now has has about 500 products somewhere along the path between early-stage human trials and registration, down from about an initial 600 in the combined company’s pipeline. The company also announced it had dropped its bid to combine its Lyrica pain medication with other treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. Lyrica is already approved for fibromyalgia. Pfizer recently failed to win FDA approval to use Lyrica as a stand-alone treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. The drug maker is targeting six research areas for the post-merger company: oncology; pain; inflammation; Alzheimer’s disease; psychoses; and diabetes. It said that 70% of Pfizer’s research projects a... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3216557 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:37:14 +0100 3216557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3212304&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fai1b5HJcB4w%2F The FDA approved a new diabetes drug called Victoza, made by Novo Nordisk. It’s in the same class as Byetta, a twice-a-day diabetes drug co-marketed by Eli Lilly and Amylin. Amylin depends on Byetta for most of its revenues — and its shares are up more than 10% this afternoon, to a 52-week high. Why should a new competitor send a company’s stock soaring? Because Amylin is working on a once-a-week version of Byetta, and the market thinks that FDA approval of Victoza, taken once a day, is a promising sign for long-acting Byetta. Here’s how Davis Bu, a Goldman Sachs analyst, put it in a note late yesterday: We expect Amylin shares to trade up significantly, as we believe the news increases the likelihood of approval for EQW. EQW is a long acting form of Byetta, and is... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3212304 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:18:30 +0100 3212304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3205063&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fmetformin-for-type-1-diabetes-really-why.html You’ve heard it before: someone with type 2 diabetes goes on insulin. That’s no surprise. But how often have you heard the reverse — someone with type 1 going on Metformin? Since the launch of Symlin in 2005, it’s not uncommon for people to treat their type 1 diabetes with a supplemental injectable medication. But hang around [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3205063 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:00:45 +0100 3205063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999749&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fthe-truth-about-afresa-inhalable-insulin-a-chat-with-al-mann.html Al Mann, CEO of MannKind Corp., is something of a legend in his own time.  He not only founded MiniMed, acquired by Medtronic, but also four other successful medical companies. He’s a billionaire, with his own Biomedical Engineering Institute at the University of Southern California (USC), so we can assume that he’s not just championing [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999749 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:02:31 +0100 2999749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834245&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FXCeF4QrJbok%2F The FDA said today that Merck’s diabetes drug Januvia may be associated with pancreatitis, a serious inflammation of the pancreas that can lead to hospitalization and, in rare cases, death. Merck said that the data suggest the drug doesn’t cause pancreatitis. This is the second time in just over a year that a popular, new-ish diabetes drug has been linked to pancreatitis — the previous case was Byetta, which is co-marketed by Amylin and Eli Lilly. In that instance, several deaths were reported. The FDA said today it had received 88 reports of pancreatitis in patients taking Januvia and Janumet, a related drug that combines Januiva with the diabetes medicine metformin. The agency didn’t report any deaths in cases of pancreatitis in patients taking the drugs, but 66% ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834245 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:56:40 +0100 2834245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2695576&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fwayback-wednesday-treating-diabetes-with-cannabis.html Here’s a post from my very first year of blogging that continues to pop up in Google searches with surprising regularity.  I suppose the mysteries of the medicinal qualities of ‘pot’ will never cease to fascinate.  Have a look at what I discovered back then, and do let us know if you’ve got anything more [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2695576 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:00:22 +0100 2695576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660710&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fnk5CPljv4gs%2F The FDA just approved saxagliptin, a diabetes medicine that will be co-marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca. The drug, which will be sold under the brand name Onglyza, is in a relatively new class, called DPP-4 inhibitors, that can be taken along with older diabetes drugs. Until now, Merck’s Januvia has been the only drug in the class on the market in this country. But in late 2006, when Januvia was approved by the FDA, you wouldn’t have guessed that Merck would have the market to itself for so long. That it has is a sign of the tough safety scrutiny the FDA has given to many new drugs in recent years. The 2006 WSJ story on Januvia’s approval noted that Galvus, a DPP-4 drug from Novartis, was also awaiting approval. But that drug was delayed, then delayed aga... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660710 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:44:43 +0100 2660710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2553205&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fdoes-lantus-cause-cancer.html Considering what I am about to write, I feel a little guilty about the post headline here. But these sensational headlines are just the point: the media is abuzz the last few days with the possibility that Lantus insulin “may be linked” to cancer. The rumors started late last week, when the media got wind that [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2553205 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:32:49 +0100 2553205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523628&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F06%2Faffordable-diabetes-wal-mart-tops-list.html I get loads of questions about where to find discounted meds and other diabetes supplies. Especially over at the DiabeticConnect community, costs are one of the hottest topics. Until now, I’ve been referring folks to Patient Assistance Programs, neglecting the fact that if you have a little bit of cash on hand, you can get [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523628 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:00:37 +0100 2523628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464108&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FWBkrMO-HIDU%2F The American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions were center stage this weekend in New Orleans. A few items of note: Stents and certain branded drugs were no better at preventing death in some diabetic patients than a regimen of older, cheaper drugs, according to a randomized, federally funded study of more than 2,000 patients, the WSJ reports. The study was constructed to answer several questions, largely related to cardiovascular health (diabetes raises the risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks). Besides the stent question, the study found that for diabetics with severe heart disease, bypass surgery reduced the risk of death more than drug treatment alone. It also found that Avandia and Actos, made by GlaxoSmithKline and Takeda, respectively, didn’t re... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464108 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:44:40 +0100 2464108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2458047&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FZmVVbKCV3rQ%2F GlaxoSmithKline finally got some good news from a study of its diabetes drug Avandia, but some top leading cardiologists remain unconvinced, saying the company’s new research has serious flaws. The results, unveiled late this afternoon at the American Diabetes Association conference in New Orleans, found Avandia doesn’t increase patients’ risk for heart attacks, according to a report from Jared A. Favole of Dow Jones Newswires and WSJ’s Alicia Mundy. The new findings, contained in a study called Record, contrast about 10 other studies, including some by Glaxo, and a key analysis in 2007 that raised serious questions about its safety. “The findings essentially are that, in overall cardiovascular terms, the drug is safe,” said Dr. Philip Home, chairman of the... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458047 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:30:01 +0100 2458047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405056&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%3A80%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F7sGmrnGqmD0%2F Pharmacy-benefits manager Medco came out today with its annual report on drug spending by its clients. One item that caught our attention: Kids aged 19 and below were the ones who had the greatest increase in spending, at about 4.5%. In contrast, spending actually fell among seniors 65 and older, by just over 1%. In a conference call with reporters, Medco’s chief medical officer, Rob Epstein, noted that the spending growth on drugs for kids and adolescents was from a smaller base. Total spending was highest for seniors. Health plans spent about $1,700 per senior in 2008, compared with about $200 per youngster. See the charts starting on page 41 of the report. Epstein pointed to increased use of drugs for diabetes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among youngsters as driver... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405056 Wed, 13 May 2009 18:55:42 +0100 2405056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2201281&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FSwUBbbO2t7c%2F Demand for free prescription drugs continues to skyrocket after already big increases in 2008, drug assistance programs around the country report. Most of the new business is from people recently laid off who have lost their health coverage along with their jobs. The Dispensary of Hope, a Nashville-based not-for-profit that supplies free prescription drugs to people with no coverage and low incomes, says the number of patients coming to its dispensing sites in Tennessee and several other states jumped 40% to 60% in the fourth quarter of last year. The Partnership for Prescription Drug Assistance, run by the drug industry trade group PhRMA, reports long lines at every stop for help finding free medications or subsidies as its promotional vans currently tour Texas and New Jersey. Welvista, a... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2201281 Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:49:15 +0100 2201281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2116363&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FAg_7Drv34WM%2F Over the past couple of years we’ve been hearing a lot about fancy brand-name drugs for diabetes, like Merck’s Januvia or GlaxoSmithKline’s Avandia. But could the real breakthrough be salsalate, a generic anti-inflammatory that’s as old as the hills? That’s the question being probed by Harvard researcher Steven Shoelson, who believes the chemical pathway salsalate blocks in the body may be linked not only to inflammation, but also to diabetes. He posits inflammation causes insulin, the hormonal linchpin of blood-sugar control, to be less effective. The WSJ has the story. This idea of using salsalate for diabetes has been out there for a while, to say the least. Shoelson did some digging and found an an article published in a German medical journal in 1876 (pi... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2116363 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:18:11 +0100 2116363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065713&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fv6LyJll-wj4%2F In spite of that big broken water main, the FDA managed to make a bit of news before everything shuts down for the holiday. Three key items: 1. The agency isn’t ready to approve AstraZeneca’s drug Seroquel XR for major depressive disorder, the company said. The drug — an extended release version of the company’s blockbuster — has already been approved for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. But the agency issued a complete response letter asking for more information before making a final decision on whether the drug should be approved for the newest indication. The original version of Seroquel is likely to lose patent protection in 2011. 2. Also likely to lose patent protection in 2011 is Takeda’s diabetes pill Actos. By that time, the company hopes to ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065713 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:30:28 +0100 2065713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933211&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fthe-state-of-januvia-and-its-election-ties.html Again, Januvia is one of the most searched-for terms on this site — which is interesting, because it’s an oral drug for controlling Type 2 diabetes with which I have no personal experience.  But there’s a “perfect storm” surrounding Januvia that encapsulates many of the controversial themes running through diabetes care: Show Me the Money If you [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933211 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:06:47 +0100 1933211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924936&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FUJG7oxaXH-s%2F A triple-barreled shot of diabetes news: The CDC came out with state-by-state estimates of diabetes rates yesterday, a watchdog group called for a ban on GlaxoSmithKline’s diabetes drug Avandia, and the American Diabetes Association recommended against use of the drug. Every year, nine out of every 1,000 American adults are newly diagnosed with diabetes, the CDC data suggest. That’s up from five in 1,000 a decade ago. As this state-by-state breakdown shows, states with the highest rates tend to cluster in the South — not surprising given the region’s high obesity rate. The watchdog group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to ban Avandia. This isn’t terribly surprising, given the group’s aggressive stance on drug safety, and the lingering safety concerns ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924936 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:24:01 +0100 1924936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1803010&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F394205761%2F After a steady stream of setbacks for inhaled insulin, there’s some hope this morning: MannKind said results from a late-stage study of its experimental inhaled insulin product look pretty good. Over a year-long period comparing the inhaled insulin to traditional injected insulin, MannKind’s product appeared to lower blood-glucose levels and didn’t raise concerns about lung function, the company said. MannKind said the results are from one of three major late-stage studies, with the others looking at long-term efficacy and safety. The company said it plans to submit the drug to the FDA by the end of the year or early in 2009. The lung-safety issue is an important one, since it dogged Exubera, Pfizer’s now-defunct inhaled insulin product. Separately, Pfizer and Mann... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1803010 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:28:03 +0100 1803010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750367&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F4bwMuuz-7Ac%2F Over 20% of all diabetics have heart disease. That is why it is so scary when new research and studies come out that prove diabetic medication to harm your heart. And here we go again… Two Wake Forest University School of Medicine faculty members sifted through three trials to come to the conclusion that certain diabetic medications could cause increased heart failure- ACCORD, ADVANCE, and the Veterans Affairs Diabetes study. “We strongly recommend restrictions in the use of thiazolidinediones (the class of drugs) and question the rationale for leaving rosiglitazone on the market,” write Sonal Singh, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of internal medicine, and Curt D. Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., professor of public health sciences. Rosiglitazone and pioglitazone are the two major thiazolidi... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750367 Sun, 31 Aug 2008 22:44:53 +0100 1750367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1729622&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2Flpw8EOBy4N8%2F Here is another reason that we see so many admissions to hospitals due to diabetic complications… the doughnut hole. Just what is this you ask? Medicare beneficiaries were responsible for pay as soon as they incurred costs of $2,400 among pharmacy costs. After a beneficiary then spent $3,850 out of their own pocket- coverage kicked in again. That coverage gap is commonly referred to as the doughnut hole. Mind you this doesn’t apply to low-income seniors who qualify for a subsidy. It was found that 15% of those who hit the doughnut hole stopped taking their medication all together and another 1% cut back on their medication use…while 5% switched medications. So darn scary. Just think what this does to an elderly persons diabetes. We need to come up with solutions to end these ... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1729622 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:07:26 +0100 1729622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1606363&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F330879294%2F Approvable letter — that sounds pretty good, right? Like, basically, something is on the verge of a green light? Not if you get one from the FDA about a drug you hope to market. When the agency sends a drug company an approvable letter, about the best you can say is that that your application to sell a new drug has been received and reviewed — and the agency still doesn’t think you’re ready to go. The drug may really be approvable some day– but probably only if you send in more data, or maybe even run another clinical trial. The agency’s “not-approvable letter” is even worse — it’s basically a full-blown rejection — but at least the name has the virtue of sounding like what it is. Anyway, the FDA said today that the days of ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1606363 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:16:04 +0100 1606363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1582178&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F327623069%2F Diabetic medications are expensive and essential in good treatment and plans of care… The Together Rx Access® Program, a free prescription savings program created by leading pharmaceutical companies that is enrolling about 10,000 people every week, has reached its 1.5 million cardholders milestone.  The Program, introduced in January of 2005, allows cardholders to access immediate and meaningful savings on hundreds of brand-name prescription medicines and products.  Those who have used their Together Rx Access cards have collectively saved more than $66 million on their prescription medicines necessary to stay healthy and to treat many common conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, and asthma. If you are interested in finding out more information on this vast... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1582178 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:35:14 +0100 1582178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1553193&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F321560876%2F The FDA is summoning a panel of experts to consider whether drug makers should be forced to study the cardiovascular effects of diabetes drugs. It’s a complicated question that raises some thorny (and interesting) issues. Diabetes dramatically raises the risk of serious cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and strokes. So it stands to reason that a drug that controls the blood-sugar swings that are the defining feature of diabetes should also lower cardiovascular risk. But that doesn’t always seem to be the case. In fact, as this FDA briefing notes, no diabetes drugs have ever been clearly proven to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. And GlaxoSmithKline’s Avandia definitely helps with blood sugar issues, but it may actually raise cardiovascular risks (t... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1553193 Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:49:32 +0100 1553193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1502717&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F307674968%2F Saturday, Sanofi-Aventis (SNY: News, Chart, Quote ), a provider of healthcare products worldwide, said its new injectable diabetes compound AVE0010, a GLP-1 agonist, was well tolerated and significantly improved glycemic control compared to placebo in type 2 diabetes patients inadequately controlled with metformin alone. This was interesting to me. I actually found this among RTTNews- Global Financial Newswires. Not only is it great information regarding type 2 diabetes but the article ended by showing how the stock ended that day. Medications can be so powerful… they even affect the economy. Tags: diabetic, economy, global finances, medication, money, Research, sanofi adventis, SNY, stock, trading stock, type-2-diabetes, wall streetShare This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1502717 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:37:23 +0100 1502717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1500126&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F306994078%2F Johnson & Johnson’s Regranex, a prescription foot jell which is used to treat refractory leg and foot ulcers in patients with diabetes, is now being given the black box warning from the US FDA. The updated warning states that patients who use three or more tubes of the gel over two years are five times more likely to die from cancer than those who do not use it. The label also advises physicians to use caution when prescribing the drug to patients with malignancies. Tags: back box warning, Diabetes, diabetic, fda, foot jell, foot ulcers, Regranex, ulcersShare This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1500126 Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:45:48 +0100 1500126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419140&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F282985839%2F Aspirin has been around forever and is still a miracle drug of sorts. What is one of our first lines of defense when people infarct? Four baby aspirin. What do we use to help prevent stroke? Aspirin. And now aspirin-like compounds can claim yet another huge health benefit- increasing the amount of insulin produced by ‘healthy’ obese people. This is a very promising discovery towards treating type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that administration of triflusal led to decreased fasting serum glucose. Contrary to their expectations, insulin sensitivity did not significantly change during the trial. Insulin secretion, however, significantly increased in relation to the dose size. In conjunction with the human samples, mice and human cells from a lab setting were also examined. ... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419140 Sat, 03 May 2008 23:10:19 +0100 1419140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1396517&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F276856705%2F Drugs are weird. They do different things to different people, and it’s often impossible to predict which people will have which side effects from which drugs. iStockphoto One unwanted effect common to a wide range of pills is weight gain, family doc and WSJ.com columnist Benjamin Brewer writes this morning. Steroids for pain, antidepressants and some blood pressure drugs are among the medicines that can cause patients to put on extra pounds, Brewer says. An especially thorny situation is type 2 diabetes, which is largely a disease of obesity. Many patients wind up taking multiple medications, and some diabetes pills cause weight gain. So if you’ve got a patient whose disease is caused by obesity, and you give them a drug to treat the disease and it makes them more obese, ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1396517 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:44:13 +0100 1396517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1361364&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F267022160%2F Pfizer said this morning that it’s adding a warning about lung cancer to the labeling for its inhaled insulin Exubera. The number of cases is low — six out of 4,740 patients treated with the drug, compared with one case out of 4,292 comparable patients who did not receive the drug. It’s not clear whether Exubera actually increases the risk of the disease. To complicate matters, all of the patients who developed lung cancer had a history of cigarette smoking. Still, inhaled insulin — once seen as a potential boon for diabetics who don’t like needles — has been hanging by a thread for months now, and the new warning may be more bad news than the concept can bear. Pfizer gave up on Exubera last year, citing lower-than-expected sales. The company took a ma... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1361364 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:12:53 +0100 1361364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1356542&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F266434164%2F With all the Vytorin news lately, we’d almost forgotten about Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline’s beleaguered diabetes drug. FDA didn’t. An agency inspection of GSK’s North Carolina offices found that the company “failed to report data relating to clinical experience” for the drug, according to this letter the FDA recently sent to GSK. The drug maker failed to tell FDA about “multiple postmarketing studies involving Avandia in mandatory Periodic and/or annual NDA reports,” the agency wrote. “The specific violations noted in this letter are serious and may be symptomatic of underlying postmarketing safety reporting failures.” Avandia prescriptions are way down since last year, when an analysis in the New England Journal suggested the drug ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1356542 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:51:52 +0100 1356542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1336905&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F260460783%2F Bitter melon… have you heard of it? It is an old Chinese traditional medicine, not to mention vegetable. Researchers took about a ton of this very beautiful green veggie and extracted pulp to study on a molecular level how it aids in type 2 diabetes. Here is how it works- it is quite fascinating. Exercise activates AMPK in muscle, which in turn mediates the movement of glucose transporters to the cell surface, a very important step in the uptake of glucose from the circulation into tissues in the body. This is a major reason that exercise is recommended as part of the normal treatment program for someone with Type 2 diabetes. The four compounds isolated in bitter melon perform a very similar action to that of exercise, in that they activate AMPK. Feel free to give it a try as there a... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1336905 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:56:50 +0100 1336905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1286533&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F247514769%2F Eli Lilly looks to be following Pfizer off the sinking inhaled-insulin ship. Lilly’s partner, Alkermes, put out an unusual, pre-emptive press release saying it expects Lilly to discontinue the program in the next week, ending their seven-year partnership to develop an inhaled insulin. iStockphoto It’s the flip side of Pfizer’s kiss off of Nektar Therapeutics over Exubera, the first inhaled insulin on the market. The beleaguered drug giant told Nektar execs that Exubera was toast the morning of the public announcement last October. Though the next month Pfizer eased Nektar’s pain a bit by agreeing to fork over $135 million. Lilly told Alkermes that it was “evaluating its business case” for the insulin, called AIR, which was in phase III studies, Alke... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1286533 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:48:04 +0100 1286533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1212413&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F230353894%2F Using drugs to lower blood sugar more aggressively than usual appears to increase the risk of death for diabetics who are already at unusually high risk for heart attack and stroke. One arm of a federally funded study called is being halted early because patients receiving the extra-aggressive treatment were more likely to die than those receiving standard treatment, officials at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute said this morning. Both groups had lower death rates than those in other studies. But the extra aggressive treatment group had three more deaths per 1,000 patients per year than the standard treatment group, which prompted a safety monitoring committee to recommend halting that arm of the study. The aggressive treatment group had a target blood sugar goal, measured by ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1212413 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:51:29 +0100 1212413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1212412&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F230500806%2F In a federally funded study of diabetes treatments, researchers found, to their surprise, that patients whose treatment aggressively targeted a low blood sugar level were more likely to die than those aiming for a more conventional level. A body of previous research shows that aggressive control of blood sugar in diabetics lowers the risk of health problems, such as vision loss and kidney trouble. And the latest findings, which caused a partial halt of the study, go against the broader notion that lower is better for most risk factors. But the scientists running the study, called Accord, bent over backwards this morning to point out plenty of caveats about the results in a conference call. The findings, they said, don’t necessarily apply to patients who aren’t as sick as tho... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1212412 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:51:29 +0100 1212412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1188911&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F226025087%2F Remember that big Avandia safety analysis that showed up in the New England Journal of Medicine last year suggesting the drug raised heart attack risk? Turns out, somebody at GlaxoSmithKline knew about it before the rest of us. Seventeen days before the study was published online, one of the peer-reviewers faxed a copy of the article to a GSK employee who the reviewer knew from working on a clinical trial of Avandia, the Journal Nature is reporting on its Web site this afternoon. The reviewer, Steven Haffner of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, told Nature that “Why I sent it is a mystery. He added: “I don’t really understand it. I wasn’t feeling well. It was bad judgement.” A spokeswoman for the New England Journal of Medicine said... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1188911 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:44:54 +0100 1188911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1183125&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F224694339%2F A generic, aspirin-like drug called salsalate might help diabetics and people at risk for diabetes. If the concept proves successful in larger tests, it could be a boon not only for those in the Western world looking for new drug options, but also for those in the developing world, where the rate of diabetes is rising but many can’t afford expensive branded drugs. In a 20-patient, month-long study, the fasting glucose levels of those who took salsalate declined 13% compared with those who took a placebo. The results, published in the Feb. issue of Diabetes Care, suggest that the drug reduces blood sugar in obese adults who don’t have diabetes, apparently by making insulin work better. The intriguing findings are the latest from a series of small studies by a group of researche... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1183125 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:32:32 +0100 1183125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1158523&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F218235512%2F The FDA has twice delayed the approval of Novartis’s diabetes drug Galvus — and now, according to the company’s CEO, Galvus may not make it to the U.S. market at all. Once upon a time not all that long ago, Galvus had a shot at being the first in a new class of diabetes pills known as DPP-4 inhibitors. But the FDA sent Novartis back to the drawing board a couple times over safety concerns. Meanwhile, Merck won the regulator’s blessing in 2006 for its DPP-4 drug Januvia, which rang up $185 million in sales in the third quarter of last year. Now Takeda has submitted its own DPP-4 to the FDA. The FDA has said it wants more clinical data on Galvus, which has been approved in Europe. In an earnings call today, Novartis CEO Dan Vasella (pictured) said the company is still... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1158523 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:43:23 +0100 1158523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1150908&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F216716842%2F Another inhaled insulin has gone up in smoke. Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, a leader in insulin, said it’s halting development of its AERx inhaled insulin system being developed in partnership with Aradigm. “Fast-acting inhaled insulin in the form it is known today is unlikely to offer significant clinical or convenience benefits over injections of modern insulin with pen devices such as Novo Nordisk’s FlexPen,” Lars Rebien Sorensen, the company’s CEO, said in a press release. The drug was in the last lap of clinical testing. All patients in the phase III trial will be converted over to alternative treatments, the company said. AERx’s failure comes on the heels of another disappointing inhaled insulin product, Pfizer’s Exubera, which the drug mak... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1150908 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:23:46 +0100 1150908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1137383&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F213316221%2F If you’re fretting about drinking, you might be skipping red wine despite evidence that the grape squeezings may carry health benefits. Some day, if all goes well in the lab, you may be able to take a pill instead. And Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, a pioneer of the approach, just reported results from an early study in diabetic patients. The company’s drug, code-named SRT501, is based on resveratrol — a chemical found in red wine. The results look promising, reports the WSJ, though it’s very early days. Resveratrol, which we’ve written about here and here, appears to slow the aging process and modulates blood sugar and insulin by activating the sirtuin 1 enzyme. The company said yesterday that a 28-day safety study showed the drug known as SRT501 was well-tolerated... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1137383 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 01:26:42 +0100 1137383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1131317&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F211264978%2F Takeda Pharmaceutical is taking a stab at doing what other drug makers so far haven’t accomplished: Coming out with a product to challenge Merck’s Januvia. The company said yesterday that it had submitted a diabetes drug, alogliptin, to the FDA. The drug belongs to a hot new category of diabetes drugs called DPP-4 inhibitors. Januvia, sitting pretty since late 2006 as the only DPP-4 inhibitor on the U.S. market, had $416 million in sales in the first nine months of 2007. Januvia was already expected to have a rival in Novartis’s Galvus. But the FDA has twice delayed approval of Galvus because of skin-lesion issues in monkeys and questions about the drug’s effect on patients with kidney impairment. And though Galvus is available in Brazil and Mexico and on the verge ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1131317 Sat, 05 Jan 2008 12:46:11 +0100 1131317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1122564&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F208743723%2F Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! We might just have a new type of oral diabetes treatment. It is derived from yeast and yes, that did make me giggle since yeast is in bread and bread is carbs and carbs turns to sugar and… you get my point. It is called glucose tolerance factor, GTF, and is essential in understanding how your body builds a resistance to insulin and can use it an ineffective way at different parts of the day or in differing situations. The results indicate that GTF acts similarly to insulin in the rats, lowering the level of glucose, and of LDL-cholesterol, (the “bad” cholesterol), and raising the level of HDL-cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol). GTF inhibited oxidation processes that can cause atherosclerosis and result in further complications of the ... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1122564 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 03:28:34 +0100 1122564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1121296&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F207847098%2F I have shared in the past that one of my guilty pleasures in life is perusing the website Perez Hilton for all the important news in and around Hollywood, hahaha. I was joking on the important part… Well, one of my other very embarrassing, as my husband calls it, lil’ pleasures in life is my good ol’ People magazine! I love the dirt, the accusations and the occasional really good, informative story, which is what this would fall under. Some of you might have already seen the article and read through it but for those that didn’t, I’m going to share. The story is about a Chicago first grader Lilly Jaffe who has been diabetic since she was one month old and her trials, complications and use of an insulin pump. At this point in her very young and full life Lilly d... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1121296 Sat, 29 Dec 2007 03:12:22 +0100 1121296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894217&cid=t_107466_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F160326364%2Factos_better_than_avandia_study_confirms.html Clinical trials results have found that patients receiving a starting dose of Takeda Pharmaceutical's diabetes drug, Actos gain better control of blood sugar and lipid levels than those using GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia.This finding comes on the heels of recent fears that Avandia increases heart attack risks. The findings are form the first 3 months of a 6 month study that pitted a 30 milligram dose of Actos against a 4 milligram dose of Avandia. Results were that Actos significantly reduced triglyceride and LDL cholesterol and increased levels of HDL cholesterol."A likely explanation for the different effects on heart attack and strokes between the two drugs could be the favorable effect of pioglitazone in increasing HDL cholesterol without adverse effects on LDL as demons... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894217 Sun, 23 Sep 2007 19:50:09 +0100 894217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=891778&cid=t_107466_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F159461438%2F Researchers out of University of Ottawa have discovered a mutation in a gene that is considered to be a major controller in the way that energy levels are used in our bodies. This is a big discovery for endurance athletes as well as diabetics. What gene is being examined and how does this pertain specifically to diabetics? The gene adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, AMPK, which controls the amount of energy in our cells by becoming active when fuel stores start to deplete such as in extreme exercise. The mutation showed a doubling of the energy use in the cells. In diabetics there are high levels of fat stored in the muscle have been linked to insulin resistance, so increased energy production would be a leg up in the right direction. In addition, as metformin, a drug common... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=891778 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:06:32 +0100 891778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=856776&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F09%2F10%2Fdr-bernstein-answers-your-questions-on-september-19th%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Drugs, Events, Opinion, Allie Beatty, Support, Care, Complications, PersonalitiesDr. Bernstein, a world leading authority in diabetes, is hosting a live internet broadcasts to answer your questions on diabetes. Diabetes 911 is setup to stop the complications of diabetes before it's an emergency. Here's a link to the page where you can submit your questions, to be answered on his next broadcast -- September 19, 2007. Just a heads-up for The Diabetes Blog reading community - AOL has announced they will be retiring The Diabetes Blog on September 14, 2007. So this is a preemptive blog to get your calendar out, send yourself a reminder email titled: OPEN ON SEPTEMBER 19th!!!! This will not be my last blog shared with you, all mighty readers o... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=856776 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 856776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=824667&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F27%2Fwhy-is-hindsight-20-25-in-diabetes%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Drugs, Research, Opinion, Allie Beatty, SupportBev did a great job covering the study of obese mice having protection from elevated blood sugar due to a plethora of adiponectin. Adiponectin was shown to enhance insulin signaling which transported the excess glucose to less harmful areas of the body, rather than the cells which would endure diabetes complications. The results of this study created a condition called ratones mórbidamente obesos - which sounds better in Spanish because in English this means morbidly obese mice. You know what they say about hindsight, right? A study from a year ago revealed some good news and some bad news. Good news first - turns out Type 2 diabetes drugs using troglitazone increased adiponectin. Rez... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=824667 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 824667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=748911&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F21%2Fless-insulin-longer-life%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Diet, ResearchHoward Hughs Medical Experts have discovered the key to a longer life is lower insulin levels. Less insulin helps cells fend off diseases that lead to early death like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. So how does one lower their insulin levels? Caloric restriction by way of eating less carbohydrates. Caloric restriction postpones the onset of life-threatening conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. It may still happen, but at a later age. Scientists manipulated genes in mice to produce 50% less insulin and saw the mice live 18% longer. While lowering insulin throughout the body can lead to a diabetic state, scientists found that allowing insulin levels to be high throughout most of the body, and lowering the... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=748911 Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 748911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=637984&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F24%2Fi-love-you-you-re-perfect-now-change%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Drugs, Research, SupportFor more the more than 300,000 users that once relied on animal-derived insulin, the final chapter of animal insulin is finally ending for the US market. In December 2007, Novo Nordisk has officially decided to discontinue making animal-insulin. Their explanation doesn't go into great detail why they chose to discontinue it. But the supporting evidence they use to warrant the decision is a little weak. Novo says, animal insulin is derived from the pancreas of slaughtered animals. This statement is as true as the statement "human insulin is derived from the pancreas of slaughtered humans". Novo continues, since that time there has been significant improvement of insulin quality and formulation. Absolute... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=637984 Thu, 24 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 637984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=587882&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F03%2Ftoo-much-insulin-could-lead-to-heart-disease%2F Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Drugs, Research, Daily NewsResearchers defined a link between high insulin levels and defective lipid metabolism but the cause may not be exactly what you think. According to a study published in June, 2005 -- this could be due to their choice in blood sugar lowering medication. The conclusion of the study identified obese insulin-resistant subjects taking metformin (brand names Glucophage, Diabex, Diaformin, Fortamet, Riomet, Glumetza) and rosiglitazone both improve insulin sensitivity (increase insulin production) but DO NOT improve lipid metabolism. Rosiglitazone (brand name Avandia) may have a detrimental effect on chylomicron metabolism Blood vessels of insulin-resistant rats build up a substance called chylomicron cholesterol following a ... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=587882 Thu, 03 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 587882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=503970&cid=t_107466_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F27%2Fc-peptide-missing-in-action%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Drugs, ResearchWhen treating diabetes, today's doctors focus on establishing blood glucose control, but often overlook the need to protect against common diabetic complications such as blindness, kidney damage, and nerve damage. The DCCT, even with a comprehensive treatment program, had a complication rate of approximately 40% of participants. People who do not have diabetes make insulin with C-peptide. Those of us diabetics who inject synthetic insulin do not get the C-peptide. When scientists began developing insulin - they weeded out the pieces of the amino acid chain they felt were insignificant in lowering blood glucose. Synthetic insulin was designed to reduce the dangerous buildup of excess sugar in the bloodstream. Uh ... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=503970 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 503970