Kamada : AAT proved efficient in treating Type-1 Diabetes in mice in a study conducted at Harvard, USA

April 7, 2008 - A recent BBC publication demonstrating the efficacy of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin in treating Type-1 Diabetes, shows a potential additional indication for AAT, Kamada's leading product. Kamada is a biopharmaceutical company developing, manufacturing and marketing specialty life-saving therapeutics.
According to the BBC publication, the scientists demonstrated the ability to stop the on-going destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in mice using a combination of three drugs, although they were unable to regenerate the cells. However, when they added an extra ingredient - an enzyme called Alpha 1 Antitrypsin - a significant rise in the number of beta cells was seen... Kamada's Press Release -

Home Test Kits from BioIQ Help Consumers Detect Diabetes

April 09, 2008 – The number of Americans at risk for diabetes, heart disease, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and other common illnesses has increased significantly in recent years, potentially shortening the lifespan of millions and putting an unprecedented strain on the health care system. Fortunately, with early detection and appropriate treatment, the complications and costs related to these diseases can often be minimized. Now thanks to a line of test kits from BioIQ, people can order test kits to blood sugarcholesterol, blood sugar and other important biometric information. BioIQ also offers corporate health screening programs to bring the benefits of home testing to employers, employees and their dependents, enabling people throughout the U.S. to screen themselves for many of today’s most common and preventable illnesses in the privacy of their own homes... BioIQ's Press Release -

DiaKine Therapeutics & Kinexum Metabolics : Combination Drug Therapy May Hold the Key to Reversing Type 1 Diabetes

04/08/2008 - -Seventy percent of mice with type 1 diabetes treated with a combination therapy of Lisofylline (LSF) (DiaKine Therapeutics) and INGAP Peptide (Kinexum Metabolics) went into complete remission and no longer needed insulin, LSF or INGAP Peptide in order to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Additionally, mice treated with this novel combination therapy required less insulin during the treatment regimen than the controls, according to results of a preclinical study presented at the prestigious Keystone Symposia on Beta Cell and Islet Biology... [PDF] DiaKine's Press Release -

12-Month Data from Endeavor IV Show Strong Clinical Efficacy of Medtronic’s Drug-Eluting Stent Across All Patient Groups

March 30, 2008 – Data showing strong clinical efficacy for Medtronic’s Endeavor® drug-eluting stent were presented today at the American College of Cardiology meeting. Entitled “One-Year Clinical and Angiographic Results in Diabetics from ENDEAVOR IV: A Randomized Comparison of the Endeavor Drug Eluting Stent System Versus Taxus in de novo Native Coronary Lesions” (2803-8) – the presentation featured an analysis of 477 diabetic patients from the ENDEAVOR IV clinical study. ENDEAVOR IV is an ongoing head-to-head comparison of the Endeavor and Taxus stents in 1,548 patients... Medtronic's Press Release -

ArthroCareSports Medicine : to Tackle Diabetic Foot Ulcers

March 26, 2008--As part of ArthroCare Sports Medicine's recent entry into the Foot and Ankle arena, ArthroCare(R) Corp. (Nasdaq: ARTC) announced that it has launched early stage clinical and pre-clinical research work for treating diabetic foot ulcers and is encouraged by preliminary results reported by physicians.

There are an estimated 18 million Americans living with diabetes today and each year at least 5% of that population develops foot ulcers as an effect of the disease. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) report that up to 30% of those suffering from diabetic foot ulcers eventually require amputation and that even for those whose ulcers heal, there is a 66% recurrence rate in that patient population. Indeed, such ulcers are far and away the most common condition leading to lower extremity amputations in the world today... ArthroCare's Press Release -

WellDoc Communications : Diabetes Management Program Assists Patients by Lowering Blood Glucose Levels by Two Points

March 19, 2008 - -WellDoc Communications, Inc., a technology-based healthcare company focused on improving diabetes management, announced that patients in its initial pilot program experienced significant improvements in their diabetes control. Patients using WellDoc’s web- and cell phone-based diabetes management platform achieved, on average, a two-point drop in their hemoglobin A1c -- or HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar control, within 90 days. The pilot results will be published in June in a peer-reviewed diabetes journal... [PDF] WellDoc Communications' Press Release -

Elixir Pharmaceuticals : enrollment in its final pivotal phase III clinical study of mitiglinide for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes

March 25, 2008 – Elixir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced that it has completed enrollment in its final pivotal phase III clinical study of mitiglinide for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. The study is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2008, with data available shortly thereafter. The results from this study will supplement the existing clinical database of more than 4,000 patients to form the basis of the Company's anticipated new drug application (NDA) submissions to the FDA in early 2009 for Glinsuna(TM) (mitiglinide) and a fixed combination product, Metgluna(TM), combining metformin and Glinsuna... [PDF] Elixir Pharmaceuticals' Press Release -

Pfizer Statement on Exubera Labeling Update in the US

April 09, 2008 -Pfizer Inc said today that it updated the United States product labeling for EXUBERA® (insulin human [rDNA original]) Inhalation Powder to include a warning with safety information about lung cancer cases observed in patients who used Exubera.

This update is based on an ongoing review of the data from the Exubera clinical trial program and post-marketing experience by Pfizer and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Since the inception of the program, Pfizer has continuously monitored respiratory safety. Over the course of the clinical trial program, 6 of the 4,740 Exubera-treated patients versus 1 of the 4,292 patients not treated with Exubera developed lung cancer. In addition there was a post-marketing report of lung cancer in one Exubera-treated patient. The update to the labeling states that all patients who developed lung cancer had a prior history of cigarette smoking, and that there were too few cases to determine whether the development of lung cancer is related to the use of Exubera... Pfizer's Press Release -

Diabetech Launches GlucoMON-RT Real-Time Monitoring for Remote Diabetes Caregivers

February 6, 2008 – As the result of over 5 years of development in over a dozen clinical trials conducted throughout the USA, Diabetech is pleased to announce the direct-to-consumer commercial availability of the GlucoMON-RT subscription service for delivering real-time blood glucose alerts to remote caregivers as well as automated reporting. This program has proven to be especially valuable for families with children at school who must cope with the remote aspects of managing their children with type 1 diabetes. Children with 'type 1' require insulin and are always at high risk of severe complications. The blood sugar lowering effects of insulin also lead to seizure, coma and other serious life-threatening events. The GlucoMON-RT 'out-of-the-box' experience is the easiest way to collaborate with others who share in the management of an individual's diabetes... [PDF version] Diabetech's Press Release -

Luminous Medical : Automated Blood Glucose Monitor For Critical Care Use

March 18, 2008 – Luminous Medical, Inc. announced that it has completed a $23.5 million round of Series B financing. Adams Street Partners led the investment, joined by new investors RiverVest Venture Partners, and Finistere Ventures. Existing investors De Novo Ventures and Latterell Venture Partners also participated in the round.
The company is developing an automated blood glucose monitor for in-hospital use with critically ill patients. Establishing tight glucose control in these patients has been shown to improve outcomes including highly significant reductions in complications, length of stay and mortality. The Luminous Medical monitor will simplify the implementation of tight glucose control by providing frequent glucose measurements automatically... [PDF] Luminous Medical's Press Release -

Alimera Sciences and pSivida : DSMB again supports continuation of Phase III Trial of Medidur FA for the treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema [DME]

March 24, 2008 – After completing its review of safety and efficacy data currently available, an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) has once again recommended that the two pivotal Phase III clinical trials, known collectively as the FAME™ (Fluocinolone Acetonide in Diabetic Macular Edema) Study can continue under the current protocol, without change. The trial is studying the use of Medidur FA for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME).FAME is two, duplicate, double-masked, randomized, multi-center studies that are following 956 patients in the U.S., Canada, Europe and India for 36 months in support of a planned global registration filing, with safety and efficacy assessed after two years of follow-up. Enrollment for the FAME study was completed in October 2007... Alimera's Press Release - [PDF] pSivida's Press Release -