OM Pharma : New article published in Diabetes presents insights on the mode of action calcium dobesilate in diabetic retinopathy

23rd July 2010 - A paper titled “Calcium dobesilate inhibits the alterations in tight junction proteins and leukocyte adhesion to retinal endothelial cells induced by diabetes” will be published in the August issue of Diabetes.

Diabetes is the reference journal for the physiology and pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus. The latest impact factor for Diabetes is 8.261, it is ranked 3rd of 92 publications in the field of endocrinology/metabolism and 2nd among journals publishing original research in that field.

The paper presents results of preclinical research conducted with calcium dobesilate - the active principle of Doxium® by a research team of the AIBILI centre in Coimbra, Portugal in collaboration with OM Pharma... OM Pharma's Press Release -

Prodigy : syringe-filling system for blind and low-vision diabetics

March 16, 2010 – Prodigy Diabetes Care, LLC, is launching its new Prodigy® Count-a dose™ April 1, a precise and safe syringe-filling device for the blind and visually impaired.
The Prodigy® Count-a-dose™ offers diabetics a device which can easily measure and mix two insulins at one time. The device had been pulled from the market a year ago by another company, prompting an outcry from blind and low-vision diabetics. Prodigy® is coming to their rescue as of April 1.
The initial version uses touch and sound to allow diabetics to measure out dosages. Prodigy® plans to release a fully audible version in the future, which mirrors the company’s commitment to providing audible medical devices.
“We’ve perfected the device to make it simple for the blind or low-vision patient to easily and, above all, safely fill their own insulin syringes,”... [PDF] Prodigy Diabetes Care's Press Release -

Forest Laboratories and Gedeon Richter : Results from a Phase II Study of Radiprodil for the Treatment of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain

June, 29, 2010-- Forest Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: FRX) and Gedeon Richter Plc. announced top-line results from a Phase II placebo and positive comparator-controlled, parallel-arm, double-blind, dose-response clinical trial of the novel, investigational NR2B-selective NMDA (N-methyl D-aspartate) receptor antagonist, radiprodil (RGH-896), for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPNP). Treatment with radiprodil did not show statistically significant or clinically meaningful reductions in mean daily pain scores, the primary endpoint, compared to placebo for any of the dosages studied.

The companies will review the complete study database over the coming weeks to determine the appropriate next steps regarding the development of radiprodil.

About the Study

This was a randomized placebo and active-controlled parallel-arm, double-blind, dose-response study in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) who were clinically diagnosed with painful polyneuropathy (greater-than or equal to 6 months) due to type I or type II diabetes mellitus. Patients had a minimum daily pain rating of at least four at screening, and an average daily pain rating of at least four (on an eleven-point scale) during the one week before baseline.



Following a five-week screening/washout period during which all analgesic medications used for DPNP were discontinued, a total of 458 male or female outpatients between 18 and 75 years of age were randomized to one of three radiprodil doses (15mg, 30mg, 45mg), an active comparator (100mg pregabalin), or placebo given three times a day (TID) for 14 weeks... Forest Laboratories' Press Release -

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development : Phase 2b Clinical Trial Results Evaluating Canagliflozin to Treat Type 2 Diabetes

June 26, 2010 – Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) announced that canagliflozin, an investigational, oral, selective sodium-glucose transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, improved glycemic control, and was also associated with a decrease in body weight, in a Phase 2b dose-ranging trial in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who were concurrently treated with metformin. The data were presented at the 70th American Diabetes Association (ADA) Annual Scientific Sessions.

Canagliflozin is a member of a new class of antihyperglycemic therapies under development to treat type 2 diabetes. Blood glucose filtered in the kidney is mainly reabsorbed into the blood stream by SGLT2. Inhibiting SGLT2 is believed to reduce blood glucose levels by increasing the amount of glucose excreted in the urine, which may also lead to a loss of calories... Johnson & Johnson's Press Release -

Novo Nordisk : Victoza® to be launched in Japan

2 June 2010 - Novo Nordisk announced that it has received approval of the price of Victoza®, a once-daily human GLP-1 analogue for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, from Japan’s Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo), the advisory committee to the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.

The price approval allows Novo Nordisk to commercially launch in Japan shortly after Victoza® is officially posted on Japan’s National Health Insurance price list 11 June.

Victoza® is the first GLP-1 to achieve regulatory approval and commercial availability in Japan. It is indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes when used as monotherapy or as an add-on to sulphonylurea (SU)... Novo Nordisk's Press Release -

Vitae Pharmaceuticals Receives $14 Million Milestone Payment as Boehringer Ingelheim Advances Lead Compound into Phase I Clinical Trials

June 28, 2010 - Program Targets 11beta-HSD-1 for the Treatment of Diabetes and Other Metabolic Syndrome Disorders - Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an integrated discovery and development company, announced that it has earned a $14 million clinical milestone payment from Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Vitae’s 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD)-1 is targeted for the treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndrome-related diseases in a strategic alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim. The payment recognizes Boehringer Ingelheim’s recent advancement of a small molecule inhibitor of 11beta-HSD-1 into Phase I clinical trials.

“Inhibition of 11beta-HSD-1 represents an important new mechanism of action for treating diabetic patients,”... [PDF] Vitae Pharmaceuticals' Press Release -

Servier : Launch of IMIDIA, an Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) project to fight diabetes

June 14, 2010. IMIDIA (“Innovative Medicines Initiative for Diabetes”), a public private consortium funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), announced the launch of a project focusing on pancreatic islet cell function and survival. Academia, biotech and pharma industry have joined forces to develop biomarkers and tools to pave the way for improved disease management and ultimately provide a cure for diabetes.


Leading European experts from 14 academic institutions, 8 pharmaceutical research organizations and 1 biotech company in the area of pancreatic ß-cells (= the body’s own insulin producing cells) officially launched the IMIDIA project. The project is supported by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). IMI a unique Public Private Partnership between the pharmaceutical industry (represented by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations / EFPIA) and the European Union. The EU contributes a total of EUR 1 billion over ten years, which is matched in-kind by the EFPIA member companies...

[...]

...About IMIDIA:

The IMIDIA team, led by sanofi-aventis, Servier and the University of Lausanne is working on the generation of novel, patient centric tools, biomarkers, and fundamental knowledge on ß-cell organization to accelerate the path to improved diabetes management... Servier's Press Release -