New Report Shows Record Number of Medicines Currently in Development to Treat Diabetes
A record 235 new medicines to treat diabetes, one of the fastest-growing diseases in America, are being developed by America’s pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, according to a national report by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). (Click here to see the full report.)
Nationwide, diabetes affects more than 25.8 million Americans, or about 8.3 percent of the U.S. population. New cases of it have risen more than 90 percent among adults over the last 10 years, and since 1987 the number of deaths from the disease has risen by 45 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Diabetes Association.
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery.
Type 2 diabetes, which is closely linked to lifestyles, was once called “adult onset” diabetes because it was so rare among children. But as more and more children are increasingly overweight or obese and inactive, the disease is being seen in even very young children. If present trends continue, 1 in 3 American children born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetimes.
The new medicines currently in the pipeline, some in early development stages and some awaiting FDA approval, include numerous drugs to treat eye diseases associated with diabetes. New medicines to treat foot ulcers could reduce the need for amputations. Researchers are pushing into new territories that include gene therapy and are working on such treatments as a once-weekly medication similar to a natural hormone critical to blood sugar regulation.
SELECTED MEDICINES IN DEVELOPMENT FOR DIABETES
Improving Glycemic Control – A once-weekly medicine in development has shown in clinical trials to significantly improve control of blood glucose levels and weight loss. The medicine’s structure is similar to that of a natural human hormone (GLP-1) that plays a significant role in blood sugar regulation. It stimulates insulin production and reduces the secretion of glucagons (hormones involved in carbohydrate metabolism). By increasing levels of GLP-1 the medicine could improve the imbalance between insulin and glucose that causes type 2 diabetes.
Reducing Insulin Resistance – A medicine in development addresses insulin resistance, an underlying cause of type 2 diabetes, by modulating genes responsible for insulin sensitization. In clinical trials, the potential medicine has been shown to lower blood glucose, triglyceride and uric acid levels without weight gain or edema by selectively modifying gene expression needed for insulin sensitization without activating the genes responsible for weight gain and edema.
Lowering Cardiovascular Risk – A medicine in development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes is comprised of two proteins that regulate the expression of genes that are responsible for lipid homeostasis (the process of maintaining internal balance of lipids within cells) and insulin resistance (when the body produces insulin but does not use it properly). Due to its dual action, it is expected to be effective as a single drug for addressing both high blood sugar and cholesterol problems, while also lowering the cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes.
Once-Daily Oral Treatment – A potential medicine in development is an oral agent for the once-daily treatment of type 2 diabetes. The medicine was designed to selectively inhibit the protein associated with glucose metabolism but not other closely related proteins that are associated with other biologic activity. The medicine blocks the degradation of incretin hormones that are released in the digestive tact in response to food, and mediate glucose-dependent insulin secretion. In type 2 diabetes, the incretin levels are decreased, contributing to insulin deficiency and high blood sugar.
Painful Nerve Damage – Nerve damage is a common symptom of diabetes, about half of all people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage, according to the American Diabetes Association. Over time, blood glucose can injure the walls of tiny blood vessels that nourish nerves causing pain, especially in the legs. A medicine in development is designed to improve the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy by inhibiting the activity of an enzyme that causes the accumulation of intracellular sorbitol that causes diabetic neuropathy.
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