The American Diabetes Association (ADA) joined the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in announcing the Part D Senior Savings Model, which will limit the cost of insulin for participating seniors to a maximum of $35 for a 30-day supply. Read more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked five drugmakers to recall their versions of the popular diabetes drug metformin after laboratory tests found they contained elevated levels of a chemical called N-Nitrosodimethylamine, which has been linked to cancer. However, patients using metformin should continue taking the drug until their doctor can prescribe a […]
A recent study conducted a risk assessment of cardiovascular disease, studying adherence to lipid-lowering medications in people with type 1 diabetes, to better understand how decreasing lipids could impact patients with type 1. Read more
Researchers have found that people with type 2 diabetes who were prescribed metformin prior to undergoing a major surgery had reduced risks for mortality and readmission in the 90 days following the procedure, according to a study recently published in JAMA Surgery. Read more
A clinical trial is being conducted by the pharma company AstraZeneca and Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City in which hospitalized COVID-19 patients are given the diabetes drug Farxiga. The blood-sugar-lowering effects of the drug cannot combat the coronavirus itself, but researchers are looking for signs it may reduce the risk of some […]
The European Medicines Agency has extended the indication for dapagliflozin for patients with type 1 diabetes, as well as type 2. Still, these treatments have not been FDA approved for type 1 patients in the US. Two trials were conducted to assess how dapagliflozin performed when it was added to the medication regimen for a patient […]
“Authorized generic” versions of two popular insulins made by Eli Lilly are now available to order by U.S. pharmacies, with list prices 50% lower than the Lilly’s branded equivalents. The two insulins are insulin lispro protamine and insulin lispro injectable suspension (Humalog Mix 75/25 KwikPen) and insulin lispro injection 100 U/mL (Humalog Junior KwikPen). Read […]
New research is underway in the attempt to find potential treatments for the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The widely used diabetes drug metformin is among those being examined. Read more
New research found a decrease in the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 24%, based on an analysis of six previous randomized controlled studies, among patients using ACE inhibitors. These blood pressure drugs may also be a way to help prevent type 2 diabetes, especially in those with a history of high blood pressure. Read […]
Researchers are working on a pill designed to release nutrients rapidly into the small intestine and stimulate the release of GLP-1 and several other appetite-suppressing hormones, mimicking what happens after gastric bypass surgery. A clinical trial studied the effects of the ingestion of a single dose of a nutrient pill in patients with obesity and […]
Rosiglitazone, a drug originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1999 under the name Avandia. The drug has already been suspended in Europe and restricted in use in the US due to concerns about how it may affect heart health, but the strength […]
The FDA recently approved Trijardy XR, a tablet that combines three previously approved medications to treat type 2 diabetes: empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor, linagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor, and metformin hydrochloride, a biguanide. The advantage of combining these agents is that they each have a different mechanism of action, so they lower blood […]
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted tests of the popular type 2 diabetes drug metformin due to suspected contamination, and found the drug did not show any evidence of contamination with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) at levels that would cause concern. Read more
US pharmacy chain CVS has announced a new program, RxZERO, which will provide diabetes medications with no co-pay. According to research by CVS, people with diabetes typically spend around $467 out-of-pocket for brand name prescriptions every year, with some (12%) spend up to $1,000 on diabetes medications. Read more
The FDA has approved the first oral medication that combines three type 2 diabetes treatments into one pill: the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin, the DPP-IV inhibitor linagliptin and metformin hydrochloride extended release. This triple combination therapy, called Trijardy XR, is approved to lower blood glucose for adults with type 2 diabetes along with diet and exercise. […]
For its 2020 recommendations, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is now advising doctors to consider prescribing sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors or glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists to patients at high risk for heart failure or chronic kidney disease (CKD), not only in patients who already have the disease. Read more
Glucocorticoids (GC) may expose patients to the risk of diabetes, particularly with long term use, a recent study suggests. Glucocorticoids are extensively used in almost every subspecialty of medicine to treat conditions like asthma, allergies, and even rheumatoid conditions. However, they have metabolic side effects like hypertension and have a direct impact on diabetes. Read […]
Adults who have both diabetes and depressive disorder and who were treated with antidepressant drugs experienced fewer episodes of hyperglycemic crisis than those who were not taking antidepressant medications, new research has found. Read more
A Phase 2b study in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) was completed for what looks likely to be the first oral form of insulin (ORMD-0801). The developing company, Oramed Pharmaceuticals’, CEO Nadav Kidron and Dr. Joel Neutel, Principal Investigator of the study discuss the results. Read more
A recent study investigated metformin vs. sulfonylureas in patients with reduced kidney function and diabetes regarding major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). In the past, safety concerns over metformin use in kidney disease have limited its use. Read more