All GLG News Analyses Filed Under: Endocrinology

This study needs to be taken in context. If initiating therapy, metformin is the drug to use. This is standard practice for most. The article does not address when more therapy is needed. I do not believe that it is advocating going directly to insulin.

   Type II diabetes and the metabolic syndrome are highly correlated with obesity. These diseases are epidemic in our society.  Weight loss has been definitively shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in these patients with complications from their obesity.  Bariatric surgery is...

The article is important because it informs about the start of a phase-2 clinical trial in diabetics with CVD which uses a therapeutic principle, which is distinct from the standard diabets type two drugs, i. e. the compound ALT-2074 addresses free radical formation. Moreover, the trial is "genotype-guided"....

A new mechanism to reduce blood sugar will always be welcome. I will wait for further safety data, however.

Symlin requires a significant burden on patients without much benefit.  For the lucky few that can get away with basal insulin and Symlin and don’t mind the shots, it may be of some benefit.

   Peripheral arterial disease is a major problem in this country which is only recently being recognized for the epidemic that it has become.  This problem (PAD) coexists with coronary disease (heart attacks) and cerebrovascular disease (strokes) and has been neglected and underdiagnosed...

1. By targeting the liver receptor (beta-subtype-selective thyroid hormone receptor), a narrow therapeutic window is expected before liver toxicity will occur. 2. It is unclear how potent this pathway will be at lowering cholesterol levels. 3. Non-hepatic side effects would be still be expected despite...

The SGLT (Sodium glucose transporter) family of renal glucose transporters is responsible for tubular reabsorption of glucose, preventing what would otherwise be immense loss of glucose in the urine.  An agent inhibiting this transporter, phlorizen, has been used experimentally in understanding...

This class of drug has had issues in the past, and while the study is interesting, a Phase 1b trial is hardly earth shattering.  Wait for the clinical event trials that the FDA will definitely require especially in the aftermath of Torsetrapib.

- New approaches to therapy of hyperlipidemia are needed - This drug is promising in early studies but has many hurdles   yet to come