Mayo team discovers new diabetes drug class

A group of investigators at the Mayo Clinic Florida say they have cracked open a door to a new class of diabetes drugs after solving a riddle that has perplexed investigators for more than half a century. The researchers say that they have developed a new molecule that effectively blocks the breakdown of insulin in the body by inhibiting an enzyme responsible for degrading insulin in the system. By keeping insulin at work, the new molecules can reduce the level of glucose in the blood. Story