FDA Approves New Diabetes Drug

FDA Approves New Diabetes Drug

The Food and Drug Administration of the United States approved a new diabetes drug this Thursday. The drug is named dapagliflozin, it is the second one from a new class of medication created to help Type 2 diabetes sufferers improve glycemic control. The new drug will be sold in the United States as Farxiga.

Depagliflozin is a SGLT2 inhibitor, a drug that helps block the re-absorption of glucose by the kidneys. It also helps with eliminating glucose in urine while lowering glucose levels in the blood. The drug will be prescribed along with other diabetes medicine already approved like insulin, glimepiride or pioglitazone.

While an impressive number of type 2 diabetes patients can suffer complications like cardiovascular disease or damaged peripheral nerves no medication was available that would help drop circulating blood sugar levels.

Canagliflozin was the first drug from the new class of medication to get the Food and Drug Administration’s approvement last March. Four new drugs are expected to follow Farxiga for FDA approval.

In clinical trials dapagliflozin managed to help patients control blood sugar better than when taking the placebo pills. While this new class of drugs, including dapagliflozin may revolutionize diabetes medication it has yet to be proven that it affects the long-term outcomes for Type 2 diabetes sufferers.

Posted by George Daniels on Saturday January 11 2014, 5:11 AM EST. Ref: americanlivewire. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0