Low-cost diabetes drugs are equally safe

Here is a reason to smile for the sufferers of type 2 diabetes, a serious and debilitating disease that becomes progressively more common with age and obesity. A new U.S. report on Monday revealed that older oral agents for type 2 diabetes, such as sulfonylureas and metformin, are as safe and effective as newer ones.

This latest report from Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs, a public information project of Consumers Union, is based on a thorough analysis of the scientific evidence on oral diabetes drugs by researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

After carefully examining data from more than 200 controlled clinical trials and cohort studies, Shari Bolen, M.D., M.P.H., and associates, of John Hopkins, found that older and cheaper oral drugs for type 2 diabetes, especially sulfonylureas and metformin (Glucophage) controlled blood glucose and other cardiovascular risk factors well.

Writing in the July 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers said the 12-year-old drug metformin that sold generically for about $100 a year appeared equally effective for lowering blood sugar levels.

However, metformin controls blood sugar levels about as well as the thiazolidinediones does, but it doesn't cause weight gain and actually decreases "bad" cholesterol levels, researchers said. ''It looks to be the safest,'' said Dr. Bolen.

Sponsored by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the systematic literature review also emphasized that glipizide and glimepiride, sold as Amaryl and Glucotrol, also have benefits.

''This is truly significant information for the millions of people with diabetes struggling to control their disease, but also struggling with the high cost of their medications,'' said Gail Shearer, project director of Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs. "The evidence shows that lower-cost, older medicines work just as well for most people."

Although the analysis came as a good news for diabetics, it may further affect sales of Avandia, a blockbuster pill recently tied to heart problems.

Touted as “Best Buys” by the newly released report, the three low-cost generics, metformin, glipizide and glimepiride, range in cost from $10 to $60 a month, while brand-name Avandia costs $131 to $262 a month, depending on dose and Actos costs from $142 to $221, depending on dose.

Another new brand-name diabetes drug Januvia (sitagliptin phosphate), manufactured by the Whitehouse Station, New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company, Merck, costs around $200 a month.

Diabetes is a debilitating disease where the body is unable to produce or produces too little of the hormone, insulin, which is essential for controlling the level of sugar circulating in the blood.

The World Health Organization recognizes two main forms of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type-1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that leaves the body without insulin to regulate the metabolism of sugar. This is a genetically associated category of diabetes, and is a condition in which the body attacks itself, destroying the pancreatic beta cells that the body needs to regulate blood sugar or glucose.

Type-2 diabetes is a condition, in which the islets of Langerhans that produce insulin are damaged. Poor diet and lifestyle habits could aggravate the disease, leading to kidney failure, amputation and eventually death.

Both Types are incurable chronic conditions, but have been treatable since insulin became medically available in 1921.

As per the estimates of International Diabetes Foundation, nearly 246 million people are currently living with diabetes. And, according to the Geneva-based WHO’s forecast, 6.4% of the global population and 8.4% of the people in the developed countries could suffer diabetes in the year 2030. Between 2000 and 2030, it said the incidence could rise by 39%.

source:www.themoneytimes.com