October 23rd, 2009
Could diabetes fight the obesity epidemic?
People who become obese have a high risk of diabetes. People with diabetes are often told to lose weight.
A new Novo Nordisk drug called liraglutide, which it’s marketing as Victoza, may provide an answer to both problems.
A study conducted in Denmark found today that it’s safe and effective as a treatment for Type II diabetes. (Yes, it beat the placebo, too.)
In higher doses it also helps patients lose more weight than a standard weight loss pill, Xenical. Plus it reduced blood pressure.
Novo Nordisk is based in Denmark, and while its stock rose in response to the news it fell back to pre-announcement levels within a day.
The drug is given once a day by injection. While many Type I diabetics are accustomed to injecting themselves with insulin, many Type II diabetics are given pills as a first-line treatment.
Still the idea of a single treatment for both early-state diabetes and weight loss drew enormous media interest.
Arne Astrup, who conducted the study, told the BBC the drug mimics the behavior of a natural hormone called GLP-1, which is released by the small intestine after you eat. The hormone tells the brain you’re full and the body to produce digestive insulin, but the effect dissipates quickly.
The drug allows your body to feel the effects of GLP-1 for a full 24 hours, making it resistant to the body’s natural self-destruct mechanism.
Critics will note that this is an injected drug, while Xenical is a tablet. Some are also questioning its use in weight loss.
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Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist since 1978, and has covered technology since 1982. He launched the Interactive Age Daily, the first daily coverage of the Internet to launch with a magazine, in September 1994. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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| 10/23/09
