The topical haemoglobin spray Granulox® has shown promising results in a study of 20 people with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The spray, which was launched in England, Scotland and Wales in 2014 by Infirst Healthcare, is designed to improve oxygen availability in the wound bed and thus aid wound healing.
Seven people with type 1 diabetes and 13 with type 2 diabetes who all had DFUs that had persisted for more than 12 weeks used the spray on eight set occasions over the 4-week study period.
After 4 weeks, all participants reported a reduction in wound surface area, elimination of slough and an improvement in exudate levels. The average wound size reduction was 62.3%, with a quarter of participants reporting a 100% reduction. Even wounds that had persisted for 1 year or more reduced in size by an average of 24%.
Combined empagliflozin and metformin has positive results
Eli Lilly and Company has announced combinations of empagliflozin and metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes lead to reductions in blood glucose.
During a Phase III, 24-week trial, empagliflozin/metformin versus empagliflozin or metformin alone were compared in a variety of strengths. All four empagliflozin/metformin combination doses showed statistically significant reductions in HbA1c compared to the individual components of empagliflozin or metformin.
Xultophy® brought to third European market: The UK
Novo Nordisk has launched its anti-diabetes injectable Xultophy® (insulin degludec and liraglutide) in the UK, following its arrival in Germany and Switzerland earlier this year.
Xultophy combines Novo’s glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist Victoza® (liraglutide) with its long-acting insulin Tresiba® (insulin degludec) in a once-daily injection. Xultophy is available as pre-filled pens of 3 mL, equivalent to 300 units insulin degludec and 10.8 mg liraglutide.
Toujeo®: Insulin glargine 300 units/mL now available in the UK
A new once-daily basal insulin is now available to clinicians in the UK as another option for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Toujeo® (insulin glargine [rDNA origin] 300 units/mL) is a long-acting, once-daily basal insulin treatment by Sanofi. Toujeo is a novel formulation of the insulin glargine molecule Lantus® (insulin glargine 100 units/mL), which is already used in the treatment of diabetes.
Results from clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of Toujeo compared to Lantus demonstrated similar glycaemic control with a lower incidence of confirmed hypoglycaemia when compared to Lantus in the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes.
Launch of new insulin glargine biosimilar
Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim have launched a biosimilar insulin glargine, Abasaglar®.
Abasaglar is a once-daily injectable prescription medicine to treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults, adolescents and children aged 2 years and above. Abasaglar is available in 100 units/mL solution for injection in a cartridge. It is designed to be taken once a day, at the same time each day, to lower blood glucose.
Jardiance® demonstrates CV risk reduction for people with T2D with high CV risk
Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company have released data from EMPA-REG OUTCOME® trial, which has revealed that Jardiance® (empagliflozin) demonstrates cardiovascular (CV) risk reduction in people with type 2 diabetes at high risk for CV events.
Jardiance, a sodium–glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, is the only glucose-lowering agent so far to have demonstrated CV risk reduction in a dedicated CV outcomes trial.
EMPA-REG OUTCOME is a long-term clinical trial investigating CV outcomes for Jardiance in more than 7000 adults with type 2 diabetes and at high risk of CV events. EMPA-REG OUTCOME met its primary endpoint and demonstrated superiority of Jardiance when added to standard care in CV risk reduction.
Amid accumulating evidence of benefits with new diabetes drugs, Vinod Patel asks whether the costs can be justified.
9 Nov 2023