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Improving drugs for type 2 diabetes Science Daily Type 2 diabetes, a prolific killer, is on a steep ascent. According to the World Health Organization, the incidence of the condition has grown dramatically from 108 million cases in 1980 to well over 400 million today. The complex disease occurs when ... and more »

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Improving drugs for type 2 diabetes - Science Daily

by: Darrell Greene Updated: May 17, 2017 - 10:40 PM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Diabetes is attacking younger Americans more often than ever before.

According to new research released by the New England Journal of Medicine, cases of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes rose dramatically between 2002 and 2012.

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Those new diagnoses crossed all racial boundaries in young people through age 20.

While a cure is still distant on the horizon according to researchers, new treatments are helping diabetics live longer and better lives.

Emily Fonville is your average 15-year-old learning to drive, playing high school sports, and of course dressing up for the prom.

What you can't see in her pictures, is her daily fight against type 1 diabetes.

"It's like the hidden disease," Emily said.

But that fight is becoming more and more winnable.

Just three weeks ago, Emily became the first person in the Mid-South and one of the first in the nation to begin wearing the artificial pancreas.

It's true name, Medtronic is the hybrid closed loop system.

It's comprised of an insulin pump which attaches to the patient's skin, and a sensor which monitors in real time the patient's blood sugar.

The sensor sends those readings to the pump and when the patient's blood sugar is high, the pump gives the patient a precisely measured dose of insulin.

If the patient's blood sugar is too low, it has the ability to suspend delivery of insulin automatically.

"It is a game changer," Emily exclaimed when asked about the new tool.

Dr. Kashif Latif is Emily's doctor. He's one of the leading endocrinologists in the nation.

"There's a lot of technology going on, but this breakthrough has been the best thing ever for people with type 1 diabetes," said Latif who operates the first insulin pump center in nation out of his practice in Bartlett.

And while he admits this is not a cure, he said it's the next best thing to come along to date.

"It kind of matches what our body or our pancreas does for us. It's a more physiologic delivery of insulin for high glucose or low glucose," said Latif.

That means a lot less worry about diabetes for Emily.

"I think it is life changing. Being on this pump I feel like a normal person. I don't have to pull out a shot and give it in the middle of a restaurant.

I can just look down, press a button, and it's done."

FOX13 spoke to representatives of Medtronic who said the company was somewhat taken off guard.

They applied to the FDA for approval of the system in 2015, understanding that the approval process can take years.

But the human trials of the system went so well, the hybrid closed loop system was approved late last year.

Medtronic is making the systems as quickly as they can to fill the need.

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Artificial pancreas helping people with diabetes - FOX13 Memphis

The FDA has approved a new drug that could reverse the effects of diabetic macular edema, which is what causes blindness in people with diabetes.

Jeremy Baker, KENS 1:34 PM. CDT May 17, 2017

A new medication could help reverse diabetes vision loss. (Photo: KENS)

Diabetes is reportedly the number one cause of blindness in the United States. Until recently, there was no way to reverse it. However, a fairly new drug recently approved by the FDA is changing that.

"It was one of those things that's hard to believe," said Sonny Groves, a portrait photographer. He found out he had diabetes 20 years ago. "As the disease progressed, I had problems like neuropathy in the hands and feet, that sort of thing," Groves said.

His vision also started to go. That's when he was referred to the Medical Center Ophthalmology Associates.

"Better control of your blood sugar will give us better control of the back of your eye," said Dr. Michael Singer as he examined Groves' vision. Singer is the director of clinical trials at MCOA.

"Dr. Singer was the first one to notice I had any problems because he noticed tiny bleeders in my retina," Groves said.

"When tissues are deprived of oxygen, they scream for help. They send out a signal called VEGF," said Singer.

The VEGF sends new blood vessels to help the tissues, but that's not a good thing.

"Instead of being helpful, they are actually harmful. They cause swelling in the central part of your vision," Singer said.

In comes a drug called Lucentis.

"This is the first time the FDA has approved a drug like this to reverse the disease," Singer said. The usage is for diabetic retinopathy in patients either with or without diabetic macular edema. This latest approval broadens the diabetic retinopathy indication to include patients both with and without diabetic macular edema.

That disease is called diabetic macular edema. Lucentis is a shot given in the white of the eye after it is numbed. The typical Lucentis dose for diabetic retinopathy is 0.3 mg, which is slightly lower than the 0.5 mg dose used for other eye diseases.

"The process takes literally about two seconds and the results can be seen as early as three days," Singer said.

Groves said the results were amazing.

"When I started taking the Lucentis, it got better. The swelling that causes all of that stopped," Groves said.

"They go from a situation where they are not seeing as well to actually improving their vision and increasing activities they are able to do in their daily life," Singer said.

Now, thanks to Lucentis, Groves said he doesn't have to stop being a photographer.

Some of the side effects of Lucentis could be eye irritation, eye pain, dry eyes or some potentially serious side effects.

Uncommon side effects could reportedly include changes in vision and eye infections.

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'Breakthrough' drug could reverse vision loss caused by diabetes ... - KENS 5 TV

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) is required to add new warnings to its diabetes drug, Invokana, about the risk of foot and leg amputations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday.

Final results from two clinical trials showed leg and foot amputations occurred about twice as often in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with Invokana, known also as canagliflozin, as those given a placebo, the FDA said in an announcement posted on its website.

The warnings include a boxed warning, reserved for the most serious possible adverse events, the FDA said.

Invokana belongs to a relatively new class of type 2 diabetes drugs called SGLT-2 inhibitors, which help remove excess blood sugar through urine. Others in the class include Eli Lilly and Co's (LLY.N) Jardiance and AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) Farxiga.

The FDA noted that results of one clinical trial showed that over the course of a year the risk of amputation in patients treated with Invokana was equivalent to 5.9 out of 1,000, compared with 2.8 out of 1,000 for patients given a placebo.

A second trial showed the risk of amputation was equivalent to 7.5 out of every 1,000 patients treated with Invokana compared with 4.2 out of every 1,000 patients given a placebo.

The agency said amputations of the toe and middle of the foot were the most common but that amputations involving the leg, below and above the knee, also occurred.

Untreated type 2 diabetes can cause blindness, nerve and kidney damage and heart disease.

(Reporting by Toni Clarke in Washington and Bill Berkrot in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Wednesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposed a clinical hold on a trial testing the company's drug to treat alopecia areata, a type of hair loss.

MUMBAI India's big drugmakers will need at least five more years to improve their manufacturing standards and data reliability to a level demanded by international regulators, said a senior industry official.

Overweight and obese people who shed a lot of excess pounds may have less damage in their knee joints than their counterparts who dont lose weight, a recent study suggests.

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FDA warns of foot, leg amputations with J&J diabetes drug - Reuters

Cameron Shephard is a local teen supported by her family as she raises awareness for type 1 diabetes.

The 13-year-old self-professed baby of the family with three siblings is a type 1 diabetic, a disease she was diagnosed with when she was 7 years old.

Type 1 diabetes also referred to as juvenile diabetes, though it can develop at any age is a disease in which the pancreas is not producing enough insulin, which regulates blood sugar. There is no known way to prevent Type 1 diabetes, nor is it curable. It is treatable through insulin therapy, delivered by injections or an insulin pump. Patients also regularly check to their blood sugar levels.

Cameron, who plays tennis and will be a freshman at Ashley Ridge High School next year, is trying to advocate for research through funds and awareness, and has a busy summer laid out that consists of talking to congressmen and cycling 100 miles, all to let people know why they need to care about finding a cure for diabetes.

Cameron and her family from Ridgeville refer to May 9 as her Diaversary the date when she was diagnosed.

Her mom, Lisa, a nurse, said no one else in the Shephard family has diabetes. Camerons diagnosis came as a shock to her parents.

Even as a nurse it shocked me how different it is because in nursing school they tell you so much about Type 2 diabetes, Lisa said.

At the time of her diagnosis, Camerons symptoms consisted of her drinking more and using the bathroom more, and she lost a lot of weight. She was treated at MUSC.

She honeymooned for a year a term referring to the period of time following Type 1 diabetes diagnosis when the pancreas is still producing some insulin to reduce insulin needs and assist blood sugar control.

She has endured more than 15,000 needle injections and eight hypoglycemic seizures. December was her last seizure.

Cameron has used a diabetic pump for about four years, though she sometimes goes back to using injections during the summer. She also has a CGM on her arm, which alerts her every five minutes to what her blood sugar level is so she does not have to do finger pricks as much. The CGM sends the alerts to a device which relays the information to Camerons phone, and her parents phones.

However, Cameron is not slowing down.

The teenager has had a JDRF Walk team for five years and is participating in the Ride to Cure Diabetes in September in New York. JDRF stands for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and their slogan is turning type one into type none.

The ride is a 100-mile cycling event to raise money and awareness for Type 1 diabetes research. It will be her first ride and the second one for Lisa.

Lisa said she first did the ride in 2016 on Amelia Island. She raised about $4,300 and went about 77 miles, but this year they are pledging 100 miles.

Cameron has also met with local congressmen and senators on diabetes-related issues.

Cameron was recently selected to represent South Carolina in the JDRF Childrens Congress this summer in Washington, D.C. She said she had to complete an application process and write a letter to South Carolina congressmen. There are three children representing South Carolina at the Childrens Congress and Cameron is the only one from below Columbia.

Cameron said she wanted to represent South Carolina because you dont hear about diabetes that much so just got to go make sure it is heard up in Washington.

The family will fly out July 24 to Washington for a busy two days consisting of children all of whom are living with Type 1 diabetes meeting with members of Congress to talk about what it is like living with the disease and why research to fund a cure is critical.

Cameron said she is excited and hopes to explain how we need support with everything.

Some children as young as 4 years old are going to Washington. Lisa said it helps put a face to the situation.

They see those kids and see what they have to do andit kind of pulls at their heart strings, she said.

In preparation for Childrens Congress, Cameron has made scrapbooks and a video and shell sit down with congressmen, one on one, and explain what her life is like to stay healthy.

You just got to constantly monitor it and make sure you dont go too low, Cameron said, referring to her blood sugar level, and if you do you got to have to have Skittles or glucose tab(lets) on you at all times.

Cameron carries a bag with her wherever she goes that carries all her diabetic needs. Shell have to sit out for an activity, like tennis, if her blood sugar is too low or too high.

When she grows up Cameron wants to be a pediatric nurse or maybe an endocrinologist. She said she thinks she would be able to relate with the patients.

Were definitely very proud of her, Lisa said. Ive been proud of her from day one when she was diagnosed.

Lisa said it blows her way the Cameron has never gotten down about the disease and maintains a positive attitude.

Some days Im like, Gosh, I hate this disease and shell just be like, Im fine, Lisa said.

Lisa said in Camerons lifetime, she is not sure if a cure will be found, but she thinks research will find ways to at least prevent Type 1 diabetes.

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Local teen advocating for diabetes research - Journalscene.com

In a sea of professional cyclists in Stage 3 Pismo Beach of the Amgen Tour of California, riders share a common goal of crossing the finish line first. One team, in particular, has a few other things to think about it besides winning.

Team Novo Nordisk is the world's first and only all-diabetic professional racing team. Every racer has type 1 diabetes.

Australian team member, Chris Williams recalls his diagnosis. "I was in Australia doing a raceandI collapsed at the end of astage," said Williams, 35. "I thought it was dehydration so I went to the hospital and that was when I was diagnosed. The doctor told me I shouldn't cycle anymore because bike racing and diabetes is a difficult combination and I would have to give it up. I was pretty devastated."

Many athletes think they won't be able to live life the way they'd hope after diagnosis. Team Novo Nordisk wants to show the world what is possible with diabetes.

"We have riders from all over the world here. Holland, Italy, and Spain. Diabetes is everywhere," said Vassili Davidenko, Team Novo Nordisk manager.

Team Novo Nordisk hopes to inspire, educate, and empower people affected by diabetes.

"You don't have to give up on your dreams because you have diabetes. There is a common myth that diabetes stops a lot of people from a lot of things but it's not true in many cases. We're an example of that," Williams said.

Novo Nordisk's David Lozano was Tuesday's King of the Mountain.

Team Novo Nordisk athletes will compete in more than 500 competitions around the world and is striving to race in the Tour de France by 2021, which is the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin.

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All-diabetes pro cycling team competes in Amgen Tour of California - KSBY San Luis Obispo News

Outdoor air temperature may influence a pregnant woman's risk of developing gestational diabetes, a new study suggests.

Mothers-to-be in very cold climes are less likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy than women exposed to hotter temperatures, researchers say.

If borne out in other studies, these findings could have important implications for the prevention and management of gestational diabetes, said study lead author Dr. Gillian Booth.

Changes in temperature may only lead to a small increase in the risk of gestational diabetes, but the number of women affected may be substantial, said Booth. She is a scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

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Also, areas that are getting hotter because of climate change could see more cases of gestational diabetes, the study authors theorized.

Others are less certain of this link, however.

"Temperature and risk of diabetes is a hot topic," said Dr. Joel Zonszein, director of the clinical diabetes center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

However, the study doesn't show a direct cause-and-effect relationship, and Zonszein cautioned that it's too soon to consider the findings definitive.

"Pregnant women or those wanting to become pregnant should not pay attention to this finding at this time, as more studies are needed to show a true causal effect," said Zonszein, who wasn't involved in the study.

Moreover, "the findings of this study do not support that climate change, a rise in global temperatures, increases the incidence of diabetes in Canada or worldwide," he said.

Booth explained that gestational diabetes in women develops in the second trimester of pregnancy and is usually temporary. Women are screened for it at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy.

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If there is a connection between temperature and gestational diabetes risk, cells called brown fat might help explain it.

According to Zonszein, "Brown fat cells are cells that -- instead of storing energy -- burn energy."

Booth speculated that extreme cold triggers activity of brown fat, thus controlling weight gain. It might even lead to weight loss, improving blood-sugar levels, she noted.

However, Zonszein said that many environmental factors -- such as excessive food intake, sugary drinks, inactivity, stress and lack of sleep -- can cause gestational diabetes in women genetically susceptible to the disease.

"Genetic factors are very important," he said, "and they are affected by many environmental factors, probably temperature is one more."

For this study, the researchers analyzed about 500,000 births in the Toronto area over 12 years. The researchers also looked at the average temperature for 30 days before diabetes testing, then compared temperature readings with results of the diabetes testing.

In women exposed to extreme cold -- 14 degrees Fahrenheit or lower -- in the month before the test, gestational diabetes was less than 5 percent. But it was about 8 percent for women when temperatures averaged 75 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, the findings showed.

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Not just heat stroke, but kidney stones, salmonella and other health issues may become far more prevalent as our planet gets warmer

Moreover, the odds of developing gestational diabetes rose slightly with every 18-degree rise in temperature, Booth said.

The association held up whether women were born in hot climates or colder regions, she added.

"Furthermore, the same association was seen when we looked at consecutive pregnancies in the same woman," Booth said.

Besides a healthy diet and physical activity to avoid excess weight, controlling temperature might be something women can do for a healthier pregnancy, Booth suggested.

"For example, turning down the thermostat and getting outside in the winter, or using air conditioning in summer, and avoiding excess layers in hot weather may help to lower the risk of gestational diabetes," she said.

An association between temperature and gestational diabetes was also reported last September in a Swedish study. In that paper, researchers found that gestational diabetes was more common in the summer than in other seasons.

Booth said the findings of the new study might also pertain to developing type 2 diabetes.

"The risk factors for gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes are virtually the same," she said.

The report was published online May 15 in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

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Could warmer temperatures raise diabetes risk in pregnancy? - CBS News

A severe warning for diabetes patients could cut into J&J's Invokana sales. (Kaspars Grinvalds/stock.adobe.com)

Eli Lilly's (LLY) Jardiance will likely benefit most after the Food and Drug Administrationrequired Dow componentJohnson & Johnson (JNJ) to warn patients of leg and foot amputations associated with diabetes drug Invokana, an analyst said Tuesday.

In a letter to physicians Tuesday, the FDA cited two large clinical trials and concluded that diabetes meds Invokana, Invokamet and Invokamet XR "causes an increased risk of leg and foot amputations."

The FDA will now require Johnson & Johnson to add a boxed warning to its Invokana/Invokamet labels. The trials, dubbed Canvas and Canvas-R, showed that leg and foot amputations occurred twice as often in patients treated with Invokana vs. aplacebo.

"Amputations to the toe and middle of the foot were the most common, however, amputations involving the leg, below and above the knee also occurred," the FDA wrote. "Some patients had more than one amputation, some involving both limbs."

Leerink analyst Seamus Fernandez expects Lilly to benefit from an influx of Invokana patients transitioning to one of its diabetes meds, Jardiance. Invokana and Jardiance belong to a class of drugs calledSGLT2 inhibitors.

SGLT2 sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 is a protein that facilitates glucose reabsorption in the kidneys. These drugs block the reabsorption of glucose in the kidneys, increase glucose excretion and lower blood glucose levels.

"The increasingly differentiated labels and data to date suggest that Lilly's Jardiance likely will be a near-term beneficiary of further and perhaps accelerated market share losses for Invokana," Fernandez wrote in a note to clients.

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Whether physicians move their patients off Invokana and onto Jardiance or AstraZeneca's (AZN) Farxiga will likely depend on the full results of the Canvas and Canvas-R trials to be presented in June during the American Diabetes Association meeting.

J&J's Janssen subsidiary began theCanvas trial in December 2009 to examine the potential cardiovascular benefit of Invokana. The Canvas-R trial began in October 2013. Researchers examined benefits of Invokana on the kidneys.

Lilly's Jardiance wasapproved by the FDA in December to cut the risk of cardiovascular death in adults with Type 2 diabetes. Jardiance was the first Type 2 diabetes drug to get approval for cutting the risk of cardiovascular death.

"We believe a dramatic impact on the class is unlikely in the wake of Jardiance's cardiovascular death claim and could be further mitigated by directionally positive results in Canvas/Canvas-R on efficacy/cardiovascular risk reduction," Fernandez wrote.

Still, the entireSGLT2 needs to grow for Jardiance to meet or beat forecasts. Fernandez sees $665 million in U.S. Jardiance sales in 2017 and $1 billion in Invokana sales in 2017. He forecasts the entire class growing to $4 billion in 2021 from $2.1 billion this year.

"So even if Jardiance were to capture 100% of Invokana's estimates sales of $1 billion in 2017 in the immediate future, a major slowdown in category growth likely would be a bigger issue relative to consensus estimates," he said.

At the closeon the stock market today, Lilly stock was down 1.6% to 78.99, after a Goldman Sachs analyst removed the stock from her conviction list. But shares of J&J, a member of the Dow Jones industrial average, advanced 0.6%, near 127.77.

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Lilly Could Grab Diabetes Share From Dow's J&J On Amputation Woes - Investor's Business Daily

CHICAGO, Illinois --

"I think I get two to six of these," he says, holding up a needle.

"It doesn't sleep, it doesn't take a break, it doesn't take a day off," explains his dad, Robert.

Dad sees the challenges first hand. So together, they're marching to stomp out the disease by raising money for Noah's March Foundation.

Pushing a loaded stroller, the two made their way from Key West, Florida, in January. They won't stop until they've crossed the country on a diagonal, ending up in Blaine, Washington.

"I can barely do this physically. And the idea that he's 11 and doing this, I couldn't be prouder," says dad.

In total, the duo will walk close to 4,000 miles. That's kind of like crossing the State Street Bridge - 66,979 times!

"'One time... I thought about quitting and was like 'get yourself together,'" Noah recalls, jokingly slapping himself in the face.

"Diabetes has become one of the major causes of disease and death in our country," says Dr. Siri Greeley, assistant professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Chicago.

He adds that it can be hard to manage blood sugar levels and avoid picking up additional health problems. In fact, Greeley explains, diabetes is a major cause of blindness.

The Centers for Disease Control says the number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes quadrupled from 1980 to 2014- and often may go unrecognized as a cause of death.

With current trends, the CDC predicts more than 100 million Americans could become diabetic by the year 2050.

And that's why you won't catch Noah Barnes dragging his feet.

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11-year-old marches cross-country for diabetes cure | abc11.com - WTVD-TV

Area residents are invited to take part in a walk this weekend to raise money for research into Type 1 diabetes, a potentially life-threatening condition that frequently develops during childhood and requires daily insulin injections.

The Corvallis Type 1 Diabetes Walk will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Crystal Lake Sports Fields, 100 S.E. Fischer Lane. Check-in starts at 9.

Participants will walk a 3-mile paved course (with options for a 1- or 2-mile walk) in a parklike setting near the Willamette River.

The event will also feature an inflatable bounce house for kids as well as coffee, a dance-off and a mini-health fair with 10 exhibitors and free screenings for relatives of people with Type 1 diabetes.

Money raised in the event will go to JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, to support work on a cure for the disease. So far, 252 individuals and 42 teams have signed up to take part and have generated more than $54,000 in donations.

Organizers say they hope to make the Corvallis walk an annual event.

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Corvallis diabetes benefit walk on Saturday | Local | democratherald ... - Albany Democrat Herald