Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca received positive news about the most recent late-stage trial of their experimental Type 2 diabetes drug, dapagliflozin. Results showed that the drug was non-inferior compared with glipizide in improving glycosylated hemoglobin levels when added to existing metformin therapy. In addition, dapagliflozin helped patients lose weight.

The 814-person study tested dapagliflozin's efficacy with metformin versus glipizide plus metformin. Although both combinations lowered glucose concentration in the blood, patients taking glipizide gained approximately three pounds while dapagliflozin patients lost seven pounds on average.

"Type 2 diabetes patients often present with multiple co-morbidities in addition to their blood sugar levels," says Michael Nauck, head of the Diabetes Centre at Bad Lauterberg in Germany and study leader, as quoted by Reuters.

If approved, dapagliflozin would be the first diabetes drug of its kind on the market. Unlike traditional diabetes drugs, it is an SGLT2 inhibitor, which blocks glucose from being reabsorbed. Another SGLT2 drug, canagliflozin, a Johnson & Johnson product, is also in Phase III testing now.

- see AstraZeneca's statement
- check out the Reuters article

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