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.

Key regulator of energy metabolism in cancer cells may play a crucial role in restricting cancer cell growth

Researchers at McGill University have discovered that a key regulator of energy metabolism in cancer cells known as the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) may play a crucial role in restricting cancer cell growth. AMPK acts as a "fuel gauge" in cells; AMPK is turned on when it senses changes in energy levels, and helps to change metabolism when energy levels are low, such as during exercise or when fasting.

28 Dec 2012

Combination of diet and exercise may prevent breast cancer in obese, postmenopausal women

Obese, postmenopausal women are at greater risk for developing breast cancer and their cancers tend to be more aggressive than those in lean counterparts.

20 Dec 2012

Patients with hypertension or diabetes have increased risk of cancer recurrence, survival

By all accounts, a combination of colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure can be a recipe for medical disaster. Now, a new study led by a surgical oncologist and researcher at Temple University School of Medicine and Fox Chase Cancer Center has shown just how deadly this mix can be.

20 Dec 2012

Metformin therapy improves BMI and fasting glucose levels in obese children

Metformin therapy has a beneficial treatment effect over placebo in improving body mass index (BMI) and fasting glucose levels in obese children, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). The study showed reduction in BMI was sustained for six months.

11 Dec 2012

Perimenopausal lifestyle modifications could reduce risk of breast cancer in obese woman

Obese women might be able to eliminate their increased risk for postmenopausal breast cancer by taking measures during perimenopause to prevent weight gain and to therapeutically control the metabolic effects of their obesity, according to the results of a preclinical study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

10 Dec 2012

Diabetes drug may improve ovarian cancer survival

Women with ovarian cancer who are also receiving metformin for diabetes have significantly improved survival rates compared with their counterparts without diabetes, study findings show.

7 Dec 2012

Diabetes tests: an interview with Dr. Danielle Stowasser

Diabetes is a serious condition that causes high levels of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood. There are three main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2 diabetes, which are lifelong conditions, and gestational diabetes, which only occurs in women during pregnancy.

3 Dec 2012

Metformin improves survival in diabetic patients with ovarian cancer

Diabetic patients with ovarian cancer who took the drug metformin for their diabetes had a better survival rate than patients who did not take it, a study headed by Mayo Clinic shows. The findings, published early online in the journal Cancer, may play an important role for researchers as they study the use of existing medications to treat different or new diseases.

3 Dec 2012

EU approves Forxiga for treatment of type 2 diabetes

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca today announced that the European Commission has approved Forxiga (dapagliflozin) tablets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the European Union. Forxiga is a selective and reversible inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) that works independently of insulin to help remove excess glucose from the body, a unique mode of action not seen in any other currently available treatments for type 2 diabetes.

15 Nov 2012

Sulfonylureas risk vs metformin points to clear first-line diabetes choice

Using sulfonylureas as a first-line treatment for diabetes is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease events or death compared with the use of metformin, research shows.

8 Nov 2012

Metformin more effective than sulfonylurea in controlling type 2 diabetes

A Vanderbilt study examining the impact of the two most commonly prescribed oral diabetes medications on the risk for heart attack, stroke and death has found the drug metformin has benefits over sulfonylurea drugs.

8 Nov 2012

Positive results from Santarus and Pharming’s RUCONEST Phase III trial on HAE

Santarus, Inc. and Pharming Group NV today announced that their pivotal Phase III clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the investigational drug RUCONEST (recombinant human C1 esterase inhibitor) 50 U/kg for the treatment of acute attacks of angioedema in patients with Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) met the primary endpoint of time to beginning of symptom relief.

7 Nov 2012

Lexicon announces data from LX4211 Phase 2b trial on type 2 diabetes

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that data from the Phase 2b clinical trial of LX4211 are being presented today as a Clinical Sciences Special Report in the Emerging Therapeutics for Diabetes and Dyslipidemia section of the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions Conference held in Los Angeles, California.

7 Nov 2012

Depomed third quarter 2012 revenue increases to $33.3 million

Depomed, Inc. today reported financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2012.

5 Nov 2012

TransTech Pharma to complete TTP054 Phase 2 trial on type 2 diabetes

TransTech Pharma, Inc., announced today that recruitment of patients for its recently initiated, multi-center Phase 2 clinical trial of TTP054 in type 2 diabetics, is exceeding expectations with initial top line results available in early 2013. The 90-day proof of concept study is being conducted in type 2 diabetics not well controlled with approved oral anti-diabetic agents.

2 Nov 2012

Department of Veterans Affairs implements pilot version of Diabetes Prevention Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced the implementation of a pilot version of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a program being promoted nationally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aimed at reducing the number of Veterans who develop diabetes.

6 Oct 2012

MannKind completes enrollment in AFREZZA Phase 3 clinical studies for type 1 and 2 diabetes

MannKind Corporation today announced that it has completed recruiting patients for two Phase 3 clinical studies of AFREZZA (insulin human [rDNA origin]), an investigational, ultra rapid-acting mealtime insulin therapy, administered using MannKind's to-be-marketed next-generation inhaler.

5 Oct 2012

Scripps Health receives Qualcomm Foundation grant to support digital medicine research projects

Scripps Health announced today that it has been awarded a $3.75 million grant from the Qualcomm Foundation, to be used for the Scripps Translational Science Institute, which was established by Scripps Health in collaboration with various parties to support the development of breakthrough digital technologies designed to revolutionize the practice of medicine.

4 Oct 2012

GW to evaluate effectiveness of glucose-lowering drugs against type 2 diabetes

John Lachin, professor of biostatistics, epidemiology and statistics at the George Washington University, has been awarded a five-year, $134 million grant from the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to conduct a clinical trial examining the long-term effectiveness of several glucose-lowering medications for treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. The grant sets a record as the largest sum award GW has ever received.

27 Sep 2012

Risks of antidiabetic drug substantially overrated for patients with reduced kidney function

The antidiabetic drug metformin is not prescribed for patients with reduced kidney function because the risk of adverse effects has been regarded as unacceptably high. A study at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has found that the risks have been substantially overrated. As a result, many more patients with diabetes may be able to enjoy the benefits of the medication.

17 Sep 2012