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.

New long-term survival data from OPUS, CRYSTAL studies demonstrate strong tumor shrinkage of Erbitux

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today highlighted a further analysis of the large randomized Phase II OPUS study demonstrating an association between early tumor shrinkage and long-term median overall survival (OS) of more than 2 years for patients with KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with Erbitux® (cetuximab) plus FOLFOX standard chemotherapy.

19 Jan 2011

Diabetes increases risk of death in breast cancer patients

Breast cancer patients are nearly 50 percent more likely to die of any cause if they also have diabetes, according to a comprehensive review of research conducted by Johns Hopkins physicians.

18 Jan 2011

Health Canada approves Eli Lilly's BYETTA for treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes

Eli Lilly Canada is pleased to announce the Health Canada approval of BYETTATM for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes.

18 Jan 2011

FDA accepts Merck's JANUMET extended-release formulation NDA for type 2 diabetes

Merck today announced that the New Drug Application (NDA) for the Company's investigational extended-release formulation of JANUMET for type 2 diabetes has been accepted for standard review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Company is also moving forward as planned with regulatory filings in countries outside the United States.

12 Jan 2011

FDA approved KOMBIGLYZE XR for type 2 diabetes mellitus now available in pharmacies

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and AstraZeneca today announced that KOMBIGLYZE™ XR (saxagliptin and metformin HCl extended-release), approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 5, 2010, is now available by prescription in pharmacies across the United States.

7 Jan 2011

GLUMETZA tablets are now available to wholesalers and physicians

Santarus, and Depomed, today announced that supply of GLUMETZA® 500 mg to wholesalers and retailers has resumed. GLUMETZA is a once-daily, extended release formulation of metformin and is approved for use in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

5 Jan 2011

Santarus, Pharming submit RHUCIN BLA to FDA for treatment of HAE attacks

Specialty biopharmaceutical company Santarus, Inc. and biotech company Pharming Group NV today announced the submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to obtain marketing approval for RHUCIN® (recombinant human C1 inhibitor) for the treatment of acute angioedema attacks in patients with Hereditary Angioedema (HAE).

29 Dec 2010

AMPK activates autophagy by activating ATG1 enzyme

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have discovered how AMPK, a metabolic master switch that springs into gear when cells run low on energy, revs up a cellular recycling program to free up essential molecular building blocks in times of need.

24 Dec 2010

Amylin, Lilly submit BYETTA sNDA for type 2 diabetes

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company today announced that a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the expanded use of BYETTA® (exenatide) injection as an add-on therapy to basal insulin, with or without metformin and/or a thiazolidinedione (TZD) in conjunction with diet and exercise for adults with type 2 diabetes who are not achieving adequate glycemic control.

23 Dec 2010

Takeda completes settlements in patent litigation over generic ACTOS, ACTOplus met, and duetact ANDAs

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda") today announced that Takeda and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. ("TPNA"), have completed settlements with all defendants in patent litigation brought against the companies in response to their Abbreviated New Drug Applications ("ANDAs") for generic ACTOS® (pioglitazone HCl), ACTOplus met® (pioglitazone HCl and metformin HCl), and duetact® (pioglitazone HCl and glimepiride).

22 Dec 2010

Merck, sanofi-aventis enter global cancer research and development agreement

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that Merck, has signed a worldwide research and development agreement with sanofi-aventis U.S. Inc., under which Merck Serono and sanofi-aventis U.S. Inc. will collaboratively investigate novel experimental combinations of agents that could block specific pathways in cancer cells. This collaboration could deliver novel targeted oncology treatments with high therapeutic potential.

17 Dec 2010

Diabetes drug may counteract against Alzheimer's disease: Research

Metformin, a drug used in type 2-diabetes might have the potential to also act against Alzheimer's disease. This has been shown in a study from scientists of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), the University of Dundee and the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics.

24 Nov 2010

Erbitux development program featured in ASCO's Clinical Cancer Advances report for third consecutive year

For the third year in a row, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has included Erbitux® (cetuximab) research in its annual report, Clinical Cancer Advances, which features the most significant studies of 2010. The report cites as a notable advance this year the finding that BRAF mutation status is a prognostic, not predictive, marker for Erbitux efficacy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

23 Nov 2010

Type 2 diabetes market in Mexico to grow to $1.22 billion in 2014: Report

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, forecasts that the type 2 diabetes market in Mexico will grow to $1.22 billion in 2014. Drivers of this growth include increasing prevalent population, expanding medical insurance coverage as well as the launch and use of new drugs in the market.

17 Nov 2010

Santarus announces commercial U.S. launch of CYCLOSET for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Santarus, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced the commercial U.S. launch of CYCLOSET (bromocriptine mesylate) tablets. CYCLOSET is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus both as monotherapy and in combination with other oral antidiabetic agents.

15 Nov 2010

Drug industry roundup: Fosamax trial focuses scrutiny on osteoporosis drugs; What about $4 generics; Recalls undermining confidence

The New York Times: A civil trial against the drugmaker Merck is now underway in Manhattan. A retired investigator for the U.S. army is one of 1,400 people suing the company on the premise that Fosamax, a Merck drug used by millions of women with thinning bones, caused them to develop jawbone ailments.

12 Nov 2010

Santarus's budesonide MMX drug shows positive result for active ulcerative colitis

Santarus, Inc. a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced positive top-line results from a second Phase III clinical study evaluating the safety and efficacy of budesonide MMX for the induction of remission of mild or moderate active ulcerative colitis.

8 Nov 2010

Phase III study suggests CYCLOSET tablets improve glycemic control

Santarus, Inc. and VeroScience LLC today announced that analyses of 379-patient subset data from a 3,070-patient Phase III safety study conducted with CYCLOSET (bromocriptine mesylate) tablets suggested that CYCLOSET as an add-on to oral antidiabetes drugs produced improvements in glycemic control irrespective of baseline duration of disease.

4 Nov 2010

Merck reports $342 million net income for 2010 third quarter

Merck & Co., Inc. today announced financial results for the third quarter of 2010. The company reported non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share (EPS) for the third quarter of $0.85, which excludes purchase accounting adjustments, restructuring costs, merger-related expenses and a $950 million legal reserve.

29 Oct 2010

Outcome-based contract between CIGNA and Merck helps diabetics control blood sugar levels

The first national outcome-based contract between a pharmaceutical company and a pharmacy benefit management company resulted in an increase in the number of people with type 2 diabetes who were able to control their blood sugar levels by taking their medications appropriately.