Diabetes - AVE-0010
The world is facing an epidemic of Type II diabetes as a result of increasingly unhealthy diets and lifestyles. While the condition can often be managed by diet and exercise at first, as time goes on drug therapy frequently becomes necessary.
The world is facing an epidemic of Type II diabetes as a result of increasingly unhealthy diets and lifestyles. While the condition can often be managed by diet and exercise at first, as time goes on drug therapy frequently becomes necessary.
The hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 is released after eating, and inhibits output of glucagons and stimulates insulin secretion. It reduces food intake and enhances the pancreas's response to meals, but it is rapidly destroyed in the gut so the hormone itself is not useful as a therapy and synthetic analogues are used instead.
A new GLP-1 agonist, the slow release injectable AVE-0010, was originally discovered by Zealand Pharmaceuticals, and is being developed by Sanofi-aventis. In one trial, 64 patients with Type II diabetes were given increasing doses of 5-40µg or placebo once or twice a day for four weeks.1 It was both safe and well tolerated, and decreased post-prandial glucose levels compared with placebo.
In another, randomised, placebo-controlled, dose-finding Phase II trial, 542 patients whose diabetes was not well controlled with metformin were given subcutaneous 5-60µg doses once or twice a day or placebo for 13 weeks.2 The drug significantly improved glycaemic control, with similar efficacy and dose response being seen on both regimens. Phase III trials are under way.