8
NEWS
Sale of
DiaExpert
Ypsomed and Mediq are completing the
sale of DiaExpert. Ypsomed and Mediq
had announced the agreement on the
sale of DiaExpert on 28 October 2022.
After all approvals had been obtained
and all conditions had been fulfilled
by the contracting parties by the end
of 2022, the transaction has now been
legally completed.
The sale strengthens Ypsomed's
focus on the development, manufacture
and distribution of its own medical
technology products for people with
chronic conditions.
Aspartame and anxiety?
Early research suggests that aspartame, an artificial sweetener
commonly found in diet drinks and food, may raise the risk for anxiety,
according to a recent report in Medscape and published online in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In a new study, investigators observed that mice that drank water
containing aspartame at doses equivalent to less than 15% of the
maximum daily human intake recommended by the FDA exhibited
pronounced anxiety-like behaviors in a variety of maze tests, and this
behavior occurred.
When consumed, aspartame becomes aspartic acid, phenylalanine
and methanol - all of which can have potent effects on the central
nervous system, the researchers point out. Exposing the mice to
aspartame also produced changes in the expression of genes in a
brain region that regulates anxiety and fear. However, giving the mice
diazepam alleviated the anxiety behavior in the animals.
"Extrapolation of the findings to humans suggests that aspartame
consumption at doses below the FDA recommended maximum daily
intake may produce neurobehavioral changes in aspartame-consuming
individuals and their descendants," the researchers report.
Amalgam Rx app
Need to figure out how much insulin to administer throughout the day
and stick to those fluctuating doses over time? There's now an app for
that. People with diabetes who don't use an insulin pump or mealtime
insulin have to self-administer varying levels of insulin throughout
the day - a process called insulin titration - based on changes in their
blood sugar levels due to physical activity and food intake. According
to Amalgam, more than 60% of basal insulin users are insufficiently
titrated and about one-third of this patient group is completely
unaware of the need to titrate their insulin at all.
The Amalgam Rx's iSage Rx insulin titration app was launched in
the US in 2017 and achieved clearance from the FDA and will soon
be available in Europe. It aims to solve those issues by connecting to
Bluetooth-equipped blood glucose meters and collecting blood glucose
and insulin dose readings in one centralized location. The app also
provides patients with behavioral support and educational information
about titration to help them better understand the process and its
potential effects as well as increase the chances of them adhering to
their dosing regimen.
Meds by mail
The Royal Mail has teamed up with
Pharmacy2U, the UK's largest online
pharmacy, to offer a complete NHS
prescription service that enables patients
to order all their NHS prescription needs
and have them delivered directly through
their home letterbox
Medication can be delivered for free
within at least five working days to any
address in the UK and users can choose
to have it posted through their letterbox,
sent via the Royal Mail's 'Signed For'
service or left in a nominated safe place
- although a signature may be needed for
controlled drugs or refrigerated items.
To sign up for the service, users
simply register via the Royal Mail
website or Royal Mail Health app. Once
registered, they simply order their
prescription or repeat prescription. The
service even sends reminders about reordering
repeat prescriptions.
Users who usually pay for NHS
prescriptions will still need to pay the
normal NHS fee (which is £9.35 per item),
although those who are exempt from
this payment or have a pre-payment
certificate will not be charged.
www.royalmail.com/health/
pharmacy2u
Dedicated NHS Diabetes Advice helpline
0345 123 2399