News
LifeScan Recalls Lots of OneTouch® SureStep® Test Strips Due To Inaccurate Readings
LifeScan, Inc. is conducting a voluntary recall in the United States of eight lots of OneTouch® SureStep® Test Strips, used by people with diabetes to measure their blood glucose levels at home. The test strips are being recalled because they may provide falsely low glucose results when the glucose level is higher than 400 mg/dL.
Diabetics Twice as Likely to Have Hearing Loss
All HearUSA company-owned hearing care centers in Massachusetts will be offering free hearing-loss screenings, along with a free 80-minute Living With Diabetes video produced by the American Diabetes Association, to anyone with diabetes during the entire month of March.
Weight-Loss Surgery a "Cure" for Type 2 Diabetes?
More and more reports have been surfacing about weight-loss surgery "curing" type 2 diabetes. At the same time, more and more questions are being asked about this process, how it works, who it works for and how long it may continue to work. While research and studies that will lead to definitive answers may take years, the March issue of Diabetes Forecast, the consumer magazine of the American Diabetes Association, provides the latest information on weight-loss surgery and type 2 diabetes -- and the additional questions that need to be answered.
VEGF Trap-Eye Shows Positive Results in Phase 2 Study
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bayer HealthCare AG today announced that VEGF Trap-Eye showed positive results in a Phase 2 study in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). The primary endpoint of the study, a statistically significant improvement in visual acuity over 24 weeks compared to the standard of care in DME, macular laser therapy, was met. Visual acuity improvement was measured by the mean number of letters gained over the initial 24 weeks of the study.
Biopharma Companies Studying 183 New Medicines to Counter Diabetes Growth
A Stratton Spotlight article recently highlighted a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey that showed a dramatic rise in the number of diabetes cases during the last 10 years and noted that pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are working on nearly 200 new medicines to treat this debilitating disease.
Vaccine for Diabetes Possible This Decade
In the not-too-distant future we could see diabetes, the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., treated with a vaccine. Several vaccine candidates are in the pipeline, creating a possible $2.4 billion market for diabetes vaccine products by 2020, according to healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information, who recently published a survey of emerging vaccine products titled: "What's Next in Vaccines? HIV, Malaria, Rabies, MRSA, and 30 Other Vaccine Targets in the 2010-2020 Pipeline."
Novo Nordisk Makes Victoza® Commercially Available
Novo Nordisk today announced that Victoza® (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection) is now available in the United States. Victoza is the first once-daily human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is indicated in the U.S. as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Victoza can be used alone (monotherapy) as well as in combination with other oral anti-diabetic medications as demonstrated by clinical studies highlighted in the prescribing information.
Bayer's A1CNow® SELFCHECK A1C System Now Available
Bayer's A1CNow SELFCHECK, an A1C system for at-home use, is now available for in-store purchase at more than 30,000 pharmacies nationwide.
Value-Based Insurance Designs Can Increase Adherence in Diabetes Patients
A study by CVS Caremark, published this week in the American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits, finds that insurance benefit designs that reduce the cost of medications for plan participants result in patients being more likely to start and stay on their medication therapy.
Clinical Pharmacist Interventions can Improve Diabetes Outcomes
A case study published in the current issue of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacists, demonstrates the positive impact of a diabetes management program designed to educate and motivate members to engage in their health care. The program was implemented by CVS Caremark and Polk County, Florida, a self-insured government employer client. After one year, the Polk County Contract for Care program resulted in improvements in key clinical measurements for enrolled members - decreased glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c), a critical measurement of blood sugar levels) and lowered blood pressure levels - while also reducing emergency room visits and in-patient hospital admissions.