Type 2 diabetes driving epidemic

Type 2 diabetes poses one of the greatest public health threats of the 21st century. As well as increasing the potential patient population, type 2 diabetes has also raised the profile of the disease. However, a new Datamonitor report estimates that while 55 million people are affected by type 2 diabetes, only 50% of patients are diagnosed, and only 80% of those actually receive treatment.

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Sanofi-Aventis: slimmer pickings for Acomplia after FDA knock back

Sanofi-Aventis has received an approvable letter from the FDA for Acomplia for its weight management indication and a non-approvable letter for smoking cessation. Although it is still unclear how long a launch in weight management will be delayed, the news has already prompted a fall in the company's share price, as investors fret over the drug's prospects.

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Obesity: lack of reimbursement limits market potential

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Novo Nordisk: setback for inhaled insulin

Denmark-based Novo Nordisk has dropped its fast-acting mealtime inhaled insulin product AERx due to a lack of commercial potential, and will focus on long-acting inhaled formulations instead. The problems faced by Novo in marketing the drug, including low satisfaction levels and re-imbursement issues with healthcare providers will also apply to other companies developing inhaled insulin systems.

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Johnson & Johnson: can canagliflozin do what dapa didn't?

New clinical trial data for canagliflozin have revealed that its blood glucose-lowering abilities show superiority to blockbuster gold-standard Januvia, with the added benefit of weight loss. The potential for first-to-market SGLT-2 inhibitor status in the US and its good safety and efficacy profile boost canagliflozin's chances for success in a crowded diabetes market.

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GSK: orlistat becomes first OTC treatment for weight-loss in Europe

GlaxoSmithKline has received approval to sell Alli, a low dose formulation of orlistat, over-the-counter to overweight adults across the EU. The drug was previously only available by physician consultation, though it has been available over-the-counter in the US since 2007. Despite promising short term prospects, Datamonitor predicts that Alli's long term performance will be less favorable.

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GlaxoSmithKline: Avandia's future questioned following US report

GlaxoSmithKline is back in the hot seat following the release of a US Senate report that highlights serious health risks associated with its diabetes drug Avandia. The report also criticizes the company for its handling of safety data and although GSK has rejected these claims and issued a fierce defense of its drug, the FDA is now under pressure to order the market withdrawal of Avandia.

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Children's diet: obesity figures continue to gain weight

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Childhood obesity levels set to rise unabated

Childhood obesity is set to increase, with incidence rates growing at the fastest rates in Asia Pacific countries, particularly China, while Europe and the US will retain the highest overall ratios. Excessive consumption of energy-dense food and drinks is partly to blame, however, sedentary lifestyles, particularly a dependence on cars and public transport, are also part of the problem.

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Autoimmune therapies found wanting in type 1 diabetes

Autoimmune treatments for type 1 diabetes promise to preserve the body's own insulin production. However, three late-stage candidates - teplizumab, otelixizumab, and Diamyd - have failed to show that they can prevent beta-cell destruction in type 1 patients, confirming Datamonitor's long-held belief that there are many barriers to market entry for these treatments.

Published By Datamonitor