Metformin News and Research

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Metformin is the active ingredient in a drug used to treat diabetes mellitus (a condition in which the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood). It is also being studied in the treatment of cancer. It decreases the amount of glucose (a type of sugar) released into the bloodstream from the liver and increases the body’s use of the glucose. Metformin is a type of antidiabetic agent.

Future work may uncover links between insulin use and cancer risk, say researchers

The benefits of using insulin to treat diabetes far outweigh the risks, but a review just published online by IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice, suggests that commonly used diabetes therapies may differ from each other when it comes to their influence on cancer risk.

2 Mar 2010

Ipsen’s 2009 performance: Azzalure, Dysport and Decapeptyl approval, Adenuric partnership, drug sales up 7.6%

The Board of Directors of Ipsen, chaired by Jean-Luc Bélingard, met on 26 February 2010 to review the Group’s results for 2009, published today.

1 Mar 2010

GlaxoSmithKline responds to Staff Report on GlaxoSmithKline and the Diabetes Drug Avandia

Today, GlaxoSmithKline responded to the recently released Senate Committee on Finance's January 2010 "Staff Report on GlaxoSmithKline and the Diabetes Drug Avandia" (the "Staff Report").

25 Feb 2010

Joint science advisory issues messages for diabetics at risk for heart disease and stroke

The data are inconclusive on heart risks from a class of blood sugar-lowering drugs called thiazolidinediones (TZDs) such as pioglitazone (Actos) or rosiglitazone (Avandia), but the medications should be used with close monitoring from healthcare providers according to a joint science advisory from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

24 Feb 2010

Depomed receives final meeting minutes from FDA for pre-NDA meeting on DM-1796 for PHN

Depomed, Inc. today announced that it has received final meeting minutes from the FDA for a pre-NDA meeting related to DM-1796 for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) held in December 2009. Depomed also commented on recent public disclosures related to the Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for Horizant™ (gabapentin enacarbil) Extended-Release Tablets.

19 Feb 2010

Merck announces global sales of $27.4 billion for full-year 2009

Merck & Co., Inc. today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2009 which include the results of legacy Schering-Plough operations from the close of the merger on Nov. 3, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009.

16 Feb 2010

Depomed expands patent portfolio around extended release gabapentin formulation technology

Depomed, Inc. announced today that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a U.S. patent application (No. 12/239,591) directed to pharmaceutical dosage forms that deliver the compound gabapentin via Depomed’s proprietary Acuform® gastric retentive drug delivery technology.

2 Feb 2010

Ipsen reports consolidated group sales of €1,032.8M for 2009

Ipsen reported today its sales for the fourth quarter and full year 2009.

1 Feb 2010

Global market for oncology drugs is forecast to reach $80 billion by 2050

New Medicine's Oncology KnowledgeBASE (nm/OK) residing at http://nmok.net became available on the Internet 10 years ago and, since then, the oncology field has evolved into one of the most challenging, complex and promising drug development sectors, both in terms of its potential contribution to medicine and to its market opportunities.

29 Jan 2010

FDA approves Novo Nordisk's Victoza for type 2 diabetes

Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company, announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new drug application for Victoza® (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection), the first once-daily human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Victoza is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

27 Jan 2010

Erbitux improves survival of mCRC patients with KRAS wild-type tumors

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announced that Erbitux® (cetuximab) provided an improvement in overall survival (OS) when added to the standard 1st-line FOLFIRI chemotherapy regimen for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients with KRAS wild-type tumors in the CRYSTAL study.

24 Jan 2010

Depomed receives second $500,000 milestone payment from Covidien

Depomed, Inc. announced today that it has received a second $500,000 milestone payment under its worldwide license agreement with Covidien focusing on the exclusive development of four acetaminophen/opioid analgesic combination products utilizing Depomed’s Acuform® gastric retentive drug delivery technology. The most recent payment from Covidien, which was received in December 2009, relates to the development of a formulation for the second product candidate under the collaboration.

21 Jan 2010

Depomed plans additional Serada Phase 3 trial for treatment of menopausal hot flashes

Depomed, Inc. announced today it has received guidance from the FDA in formal meeting minutes from a meeting held in December regarding SeradaTM, the company’s extended release gabapentin product candidate for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes. Based on guidance reflected in the meeting minutes, Depomed plans to conduct a single additional pivotal Phase 3 trial evaluating Serada for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes.

20 Jan 2010

UCLA: Metformin can be used to treat patients with diabetes and advanced heart failure

A new study has shown that metformin, a drug often used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, is safe for use in treating patients who have both diabetes and advanced heart failure.

7 Jan 2010

Santarus submits rifamycin SV MMX IND to the FDA

Santarus, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting approval to begin a Phase III clinical program evaluating rifamycin SV MMX® in patients with travelers’ diarrhea.

30 Dec 2009

ZEGERID OTC approval triggers $20M milestone payment to Santarus

Santarus, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has received the $20 million milestone payment previously announced on December 1, 2009 relating to the approval of ZEGERID OTC™ (omeprazole 20 mg/sodium bicarbonate 1100 mg capsules) under its over-the-counter (OTC) licensing agreement with Schering-Plough HealthCare Products, Inc., the consumer healthcare division of Merck & Co., Inc. Schering-Plough and Merck merged on November 3, 2009.

22 Dec 2009

Roche discloses results of two of eight taspoglutide T-emerge phase III studies in diabetes patients

Ipsen, an innovation-driven global specialty pharmaceutical group, today announced that its partner Roche has disclosed headline results of the fourth and fifth of eight T-emerge phase III studies in patients with diabetes for taspoglutide, the first once weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue based on a human sequence.

17 Dec 2009

Positive results from study comparing exenatide once weekly to BYETTA

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company and Alkermes, Inc. today announced positive results from a head-to-head study comparing exenatide once weekly, an investigational diabetes therapy, to BYETTA® (exenatide) injection taken twice daily, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

15 Dec 2009

FDA approves Santarus’ NDA for immediate-release prescription tablet product

Santarus, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company’s New Drug Application (NDA) for immediate-release omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate/ magnesium hydroxide tablets in 40 mg and 20 mg dosage strengths of omeprazole.

5 Dec 2009

Sulphonylureas, an antidiabetic drug, carries greater risk of heart failure and death compared to metformin

Research: Risk of cardiovascular disease and all cause mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes prescribed oral antidiabetes drugs: Retrospective cohort study using UK general practice research database

4 Dec 2009