New generation of drugs shows promising future
A new generation of medications and new devices are now available for the treatment of diabetes. Consider these:
Miglitol
Marketed by Pharmacia and Upjohn under the brand name Glyset, miglitol is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor (AGI) that prevents post-prandial blood sugar swings as a monotherapy or in combination with other agents or insulin.
In a paper presented at the American Diabetes Association scientific sessions in June, the comparative benefits of AGIs were shown to help keep blood sugars stable without the side effects. "It’s not a systemic drug. It works in the GI tract to slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, so the blood sugar doesn’t have to go down," says Steven Edelman, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of California in San Diego and founder of the nonprofit organization for patients, "Taking Control of Your Diabetes." (See sample handout, inserted in this issue.)
Inhaled insulin
Two California companies are in a race to get inhaled insulin on the market. Inhale Therapeutic Systems of San Carlos and Aradigm Corp. of Hayward have slightly different delivery forms.
— Inhale’s system delivers insulin in a powder, while Aradigm’s system uses an aerosol mist.
— Aradigm’s inhaler features visual feedback that prompts the patient to breathe correctly before it dispenses the dose. The inhaler also contains a microprocessor that tracks dosage and allows physicians to download information.
Both devices are in Phase 2 clinical trials.
Watch monitor
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review status to GlucoWatch, a watch-like blood glucose monitor under development by Cygnus of Redwood City, CA. The GlucoWatch is an automatic and noninvasive glucose monitor intended for use by adult diabetics. After an initial calibration with a finger-stick blood glucose measurement, glucose samples are taken through the skin.
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