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Metformin Won't Aid Breast Cancer Survival in Diabetics

Posted 6 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 14 – Despite prior research suggesting that the widely used diabetes drug metformin might help cancer patients, a new study finds it does not boost survival for older breast cancer patients with diabetes. Previous research has found that metformin was associated with an up to 30 percent reduction in new cancers in breast cancer patients without diabetes, noted study author Dr. Iliana Lega, a research fellow at Women's College Hospital in Toronto. Prior research has also tied use of the drug to slowed tumor growth. "Metformin is a drug commonly used by diabetic patients to control the amount of glucose [sugar] in their blood," Lega explained in a hospital news release. "Although existing scientific literature suggests that the drug may prevent new cancers and death from breast cancer, our study found the drug did not significantly impact survival rates in our patients." The ... Read more

Antihistamines Adding to Drug Pollution in Streams

Posted 2 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 2 – Antihistamines and other medicines disrupt the ecosystems of streams, a new study finds. "Pharmaceutical pollution is now detected in waters throughout the world," lead author Emma Rosi-Marshall, a scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y., said in an institute news release. "Causes include aging infrastructure, sewage overflows and agricultural runoff. Even when wastewater makes it to sewage treatment facilities, they aren't equipped to remove pharmaceuticals." "As a result, our streams and rivers are exposed to a cocktail of synthetic compounds, from stimulants and antibiotics to analgesics and antihistamines," Rosi-Marshall said. The researchers examined how some common medicines affect similar-sized streams in New York, Maryland and Indiana. The medicines included the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, the diabetes drug metformin, two ... Read more

Three New Drugs Approved for Type 2 Diabetes

Posted 30 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Jan. 28 – Three new related drugs designed to improve blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. All three drugs contain a new active ingredient, alogliptin (brand named Nesina), either by itself or with other previously approved medications. In addition to Nesina, the agency approved Kazano (alogliptin and metformin hydrocholoride) and Oseni (alogliptin and pioglitazone). Type 2 diabetes leads the body to resist insulin or to produce insufficient amounts of the hormone, causing blood sugar to spike. The disease affects about 24 million people in the United States, accounting for more than 90 percent of diabetes cases, the FDA said in a news release. Nesina, either by itself or in combination with other medications, was tested in 14 clinical studies involving some 8,500 people with type 2 diabetes. The new ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Pioglitazone, Metformin/Pioglitazone

Takeda Receives FDA Approval for Kazano (alogliptin and metformin) for Type 2 Diabetes

Posted 28 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

DEERFIELD, Ill. and OSAKA, Japan, Jan. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. today announced that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Kazano (alogliptin and metformin HCl) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults as adjuncts to diet and exercise. "Takeda is pleased with the FDA approval of Kazano for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, a therapeutic category in which we have more than twenty years of clinical and patient experience," said Douglas Cole, president, Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. "Millions of people are affected by diabetes and, as a leader in the diabetes arena, Takeda is dedicated to working to advance patient care and helping to meet the needs of this growing patient population." Kazano contains alogliptin, a dipeptidyl ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin

Common Diabetes Drug Shows Promise as Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Posted 3 Dec 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Dec. 3 – Ovarian cancer may join a growing list of malignancies that seem to be slowed by a commonly prescribed diabetes drug. Ovarian cancer patients who were taking metformin at the time of their diagnosis survived longer than patients who weren't on the drug, a new study by Mayo Clinic researchers shows. Metformin goes by the brand name Glucophage and is derived from French lilacs. It's typically prescribed to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes but has shown promise as a potential anticancer agent in recent prostate, colon, pancreas, brain and breast cancer studies, as well as in lab experiments with ovarian cancer cells. The new research, published online Dec. 3 in the journal Cancer, was a retrospective study where the scientists evaluated the medical records of ovarian cancer patients who had received their cancer diagnosis between 1995 and 2010. ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Glucophage, Ovarian Cancer, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet

Popular Diabetes Meds Put to the Test

Posted 6 Nov 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 6 – Patients with diabetes who were treated with the popular oral medication metformin face a lower risk of heart attack, stroke or death than those taking sulfonylureas, another common option, according to a large, multi-year study. Researchers who tracked hundreds of thousands of veterans with type 2 diabetes found that users of metformin (brand names include Glucophage and Fortamet) faced a "modest but clinically important" 21 percent lower risk of hospitalization because of cardiovascular complications than users of sulfonylureas (glyburide and glipizide). The researchers cautioned, however, that they couldn't pinpoint whether metformin protects against heart issues or whether, by contrast, sufonylureas pose a specific threat to heart health. It's possible that both are true. Although the researchers said the findings suggest metformin should be the preferred oral ... Read more

Newer 'Second-Line' Diabetes Drug May Outperform Older Meds

Posted 28 Jun 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, June 28 – A new drug for type 2 diabetes causes significantly less weight gain and may carry lower risks for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), heart attack and stroke than standard medications, a new study indicates. Researchers in Germany noted that the new drug, linagliptin (Tradjenta), is intended for use in patients that do not fare well with metformin, the most common first-line drug used to treat the disease. Patients with type 2 diabetes may stop responding to metformin over time. Others who do not respond to metformin alone are given a second drug to help them maintain normal blood sugar levels. The researchers noted that which drug they should be prescribed is unclear. The researchers pointed out that most patients are prescribed a class of drugs called sulphonylureas to supplement metformin. However, these drugs can sometimes lead to hypoglycemia and weight gain, ... Read more

Metformin Outperforms Common Class of Diabetes Drugs in Study

Posted 24 Jun 2012 by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, June 24 – Three widely used diabetes drugs are associated with a greater risk of death when compared to a popular drug from a different class, metformin, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 24,000 patients with type 2 diabetes, average age 62, who were treated with one of three drugs called sulfonylureas (glipizide, glyburide, and glimepiride) or with another type of drug called metformin. Sulfonylureas help decrease blood sugar levels by stimulating the pancreas to produce insulin. Metformin also helps reduce blood sugar levels. Overall, all three sulfonylureas were associated with a more than 50 percent greater risk of death compared to metformin, according to the study, which was funded by drug company Astra Zeneca. The researchers also found that, among diabetes patients with heart disease, glipizide was associated with a 41 percent greater risk ... Read more

Diabetes Drug Metformin May Cut Breast Cancer Risk in Older Women

Posted 11 Jun 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, June 11 – A widely prescribed drug, metformin, may lower the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women with diabetes, a new study indicates. The research, published online June 11 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, echoes other recent studies that have suggested the diabetes drug may help cut the chances of prostate, pancreatic, liver and oral cancer, as well as certain forms of melanoma. The researchers found that the incidence of invasive breast cancer was 25 percent lower in women with diabetes who were taking metformin than it was in women who weren't taking the drug. Approximately 25.8 million people in the United States have diabetes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 90 percent and 95 percent of these cases are type 2 diabetes, in which the body's ability to make and use insulin deteriorates. "Type 2 diabetes is a ... Read more

Related support groups: Metformin, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet

Two-Drug Therapy Helped Kids With Type 2 Diabetes

Posted 29 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, April 29 – Children with type 2 diabetes may achieve better blood sugar control with a combination of two drugs, metformin and Avandia, than with metformin alone, a new study suggests. However, Avandia (rosiglitazone) was recently linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, so it may not be the best drug for these young patients, experts say. "Many kids with type 2 have a rapidly progressive disease requiring early onset of insulin therapy, and current approaches to oral therapy may be inadequate," said lead researcher Dr. Philip Zeitler, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, Denver. Zeitler noted that the choice of Avandia as a companion medication was made in 2002, before the cardiac problems with the drug were known. "Given the problems with rosiglitazone, we are not recommending it at this time," he said. "However, no problems with rosiglitazone ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Glucophage, Avandia, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet, Rosiglitazone

Value of Metformin, Insulin Combo for Type 2 Diabetes Questioned

Posted 19 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, April 19 – It's not clear whether patients with type 2 diabetes gain any long-term benefit from taking the blood sugar-lowering drug metformin and insulin together rather than insulin alone. That's the conclusion of Danish researchers who reviewed data from 23 clinical trials involving more than 2,200 patients over the age of 18. Reporting online April 19 in the BMJ, they found that taking metformin plus insulin leads to better blood sugar control, less weight gain and less need for insulin. However, the researchers also noted that the clinical trials provided little information about long-term patient outcomes, such as the total numbers of deaths and deaths from cardiovascular disease. This means that more clinical trials are needed to determine the long-term benefits and harms of the combination, specifically the risks of premature death. The researchers, led by Bianca ... Read more

Diabetes Drug Metformin Might Also Help Fight Cancer

Posted 1 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

SATURDAY, March 31 – A diabetes medication used by millions is now showing promise against a variety of different cancers. Two new clinical studies to be presented Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, in Chicago, found that metformin (also known by the brand name Glucophage, among others), appeared linked to a slowing in the rate of prostate cancer growth in certain patients, and in prolonging life for early-stage pancreatic cancer patients. Other studies, done either in the lab or in animals, also hint that the drug might have an effect against liver or oral tumors, as well as certain forms of melanoma. The findings have sparked interest in the cancer field and do seem promising, but much more research needs to be done before the drug can be recommended as a cancer treatment, experts said. "There are very exciting clues from laboratory ... Read more

Related support groups: Metformin, Breast Cancer, Glucophage, Colorectal Cancer, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet

Prescription Meds Can Put on Unwanted Pounds

Posted 2 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 2 – Medications taken by millions of Americans for mood disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic conditions can have an unhealthy side effect: weight gain. While other choices exist for some types of drugs, adjusting medications is not simply a matter of switching, said Ryan Roux, chief pharmacy officer with the Harris County Hospital District, in Houston. In the late 1990s, Dr. Lawrence Cheskin conducted early research on prescription medicines and obesity. "Some medicines make an early, noticeable difference, causing patients to become ravenously hungry, while changes are subtle for others. A few months taking them and you've gained 10 pounds," said Cheskin, now director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, in Baltimore. To help increase awareness, Roux and his pharmacist group have compiled a list of "weight-promoting" and "weight-neutral or ... Read more

Metformin Preferred Drug for Type 2 Diabetes, Experts Say

Posted 6 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 6 – When it comes to the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the first line of defense is lifestyle changes such as losing weight and exercising more often. But, if those lifestyle changes don't get blood sugar levels under control, the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends the drug metformin as the first oral treatment that should be given. If metformin alone can't control blood sugar levels, the ACP advises combining metformin with another blood-sugar lowering medication. But, the evidence isn't yet strong enough for the doctor's group to recommend one medication over another for combination therapy. "Most diabetes medications do lower [blood sugar], but metformin is more effective with fewer side effects. And, the cost is less," said Dr. Amir Qaseem, director of clinical policy at the American College of Physicians, and the lead author of the new guidelines. ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet

FDA Approves Janumet XR (sitagliptin and metformin HCl extended-release) for Type 2 Diabetes, Offering the Powerful Efficacy of Janumet (sitagliptin/metformin HCl) Now Available with Once-Daily Convenience

Posted 2 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 2, 2012 - Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Janumet XR (sitagliptin and metformin hydrochloride (HCl) extended-release) tablets, a new treatment for type 2 diabetes that combines sitagliptin, which is the active component of Januvia (sitagliptin), with extended-release metformin. Janumet XR provides a convenient once-daily treatment option for healthcare providers and patients who need help to control their blood sugar. Janumet XR is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus when treatment with both sitagliptin and extended-release metformin is appropriate. Janumet XR should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis. Janumet ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Janumet, Sitagliptin, Metformin/Sitagliptin

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Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet