[Diabetes-talk] Latest Trends in Care

[Doug Billiar]

1. Echo Therapeutics - The Symphony System. It is a non-needle,
non-invasive, wireless transdermal continuous glucose monitoring system.
Until now, the
CGM systems have required a needle or sensor to be placed under the skin and
changed anywhere between 3-7 days; you are still required to use finger
sticks
for calibration of the CGM. The CGM records blood sugar levels throughout
the day and night; it helps track trends showing dips and spikes of the
blood
sugar. The Symphony System uses a biosensor without the need to prick the
skin since it is transdermal [it is an adhesive patch placed on the skin].
F.D.A.
approval is expected in 2013 and is showing strong successes in clinical
trials. Testing is being done on hospitalized critical care patients who
require
multiple finger sticks daily; it is well documented that blood sugar control
is imperative during acute illness and trends need to be monitored. Studies
are also being conducted on out-patients with diabetes. The transdermal
patch would require changing every 24 hours. The needleless system
technology is
a benefit for those who dread needle placement as well as having the ability
to lower the risk of infection especially in the hospital critical care
arena.
2. Novo-Nordisk - Degludec. Although there are basal insulins such as Lantus
and Levemir already available, Novo Nordisk is working on Degludec and
DegludecPlus
as acceptable long acting choices. It is longer acting and improves blood
glucose levels with a lower risk of hypoglycemia especially during the
nighttime;
it will be easier and more flexible with dosing, possibly 3 times weekly.
Degludec will also have a u-200 version which allows more insulin in a
reduced
volume for those who require large amounts. DegludecPlus has a fixed dose of
mealtime and basal insulin-70%-Degludec-basal and 30%-Novolog-mealtime.
Novo-Nordisk
is filing for FDA approval for this new insulin in January, 2012.
3. DPP4-inhibitors - Januvia, Onglyza, and Tradjenta. These three already
FDA approved oral, once daily, medications help the pancreas secrete insulin
when
the blood sugars are high as in post-prandial [after a meal] so that blood
sugar spikes are not so dramatic and also lowers the risk of hypoglycemia.
They
reduce glucagon production from the liver, decrease gastric emptying as well
as increase satiation. They are only approved for type 2 diabetes. They work
by allowing GLP1, a gut hormone, to stay in the body longer which improves
control of sugar as well as reducing your appetite. They are available in
combination
pills with Metformin - called Janumet and Kombiglyze. The side effects are
minimal and can include symptoms of a cold, headache, nausea as well as mild
skin reactions. These medications are more expensive compared to the older
diabetes oral medications.
4. Tandem Diabetes Care - T: slim. A new insulin pump, approved by the FDA
which should be available by early 2012. It is slimmer, roughly the size of
a
deck of cards, has a 300 unit reservoir which can connect to any commercial
infusion set with luer connections such as the Comfort, Quick-set, Inset, or
Cleo. It has a rechargeable battery, is compatible with Macs or PCs, has a
color touch screen, has USB connectivity, is easy to use and uses
micro-delivery
technology which equates to higher accuracy. The negative is that it is not
water-proof. The screen should have a protective cover, like an iPhone. It
is only approved for people over 12 years old but studies are being done on
children under the age of 12.
list end

 
Doug and Weaver
natemaster at atmc.net
 
 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: PawPrint.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 1115 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20120118/58362cd6/attachment.gif>