LIVINGLIVING
WELL TREATED
New diabetes treatments can be hard to keep track of. Here
we take a look at some of the newer treatments and trials for
diabetes. By Angela Coffey.
B
eing armed with the
basic facts about
new and potential
treatments is a great
way to keep track of
what could be suitable for you and to
ask about them at your next diabetes
appointment. Of course, the decision to
start any new treatments ultimately lies
with your doctor, but there's never any
harm in finding out more and having a
discussion about it - particularly if your
current treatment isn't giving you the
best control. From new oral medications
to supplement insulin therapy for Type 1
diabetes, to a new once-weekly injection
to treat Type 2, here are some of the new
medications on the market, as well as
current trials that could be ones to watch.
Treatments for Type 1
SGLT2 inhibitors
While SGLT2 inhibitors are a group of
medications mainly used to treat Type 2
diabetes, there are now two types of the
pill that have been approved for people
with Type 1 who have a BMI of more than
27 kg/m2 when insulin on its own isn't
providing adequate blood sugar control.
Taken once daily, Forxiga
(dapagliflozin), developed by Bristol-Myers
Squibb in partnership with AstraZeneca,
and Zynquista (sotagliflozin), developed
by Sanofi and Lexicon, both work by
reducing the amount of glucose absorbed
in the kidneys so that it's passed out in the
urine and, as a result, reduces the amount
of glucose in the blood.
Taken alongside insulin, SGLT
inhibitors can make a huge difference for
some people with Type 1 - increasing
time in range and reducing insulin doses,
HbA1c and blood pressure. And, by
passing glucose out of the body, the
accompanying calories are also excreted,
which results in weight loss - an additional
benefit. It's important, though, to stick to
a healthy diet and take regular exercise.
However, there's an increased risk of
diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and people
taking the treatment will need to carefully
monitor ketones and be fully aware of the
symptoms.
ADO09
Currently in trials, ADO09, developed
by Adocia, is a new co-formulation of
pramlintide (a synthetic form of hormone
amylin) and rapid-acting insulin for people
with Type 1 diabetes.
Intended to improve post-mealtime
blood sugar control, in Phase 1 trials
ADO09 was shown to have an 85%
decrease in blood sugar excursion over
the first two hours after a meal, when
compared to the rapid-acting insulin
Humalog on its own. ADO09 also showed
similar blood sugar control over the first
two hours after a meal compared to
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