This article is from the WebMD News Archive
New Drug for Diabetes, Weight Loss?
Chinese Scientists Find Key to Oral Diabetes Drug That Could Also Cut Overeating
Reviewed by
Louise Chang, MD
Jan. 4, 2007 -- Chinese researchers may have found the key to an oral drug that could treat both type 2 diabetes and obesity.
They are focusing on a compound called Boc5 by Ming-Wei Wang, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the National Center for Drug Screening and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai, China.
Boc5 is not powerful enough to become a diabetes or weight loss drug. But Wang and colleagues suggest that daughter compounds could join the latest generation of diabetes drugs, called "incretin mimetics."
The first FDA-approved incretin mimetic was Byetta. A second such drug, with the generic name liraglutide, is in clinical trials.
These drugs mimic an intestinal peptide, glucagon-like peptide, or GLP-1.
The drugs help people with type 2 diabetes normalize their blood sugar, lose weight, and perhaps even gain new insulin-making cells.
The problem is that they are large molecules. This means they can't be used as oral drugs, but have to be given by injection.
That's what makes Boc5 different. It's a small molecule and therefore promises to sire a new family of more powerful oral drugs for diabetes.
New Diabetes, Weight Loss Drug?
To find Boc5, Wang and colleagues screened 48,160 compounds for GLP-1-like activity. They found two.
Eventually, these compounds led them to the molecule now called Boc5.
The scientists tested the Boc5 drugs in a strain of mice bred with a defect that makes them overeat. This overeating, coupled with insulin resistanceand defective insulin production, makes the mice diabetic.
Mice given Boc5 began to eat less; and daily doses reduced the animals' blood-sugar levels to normal. Also, when GLP-1 activity was blocked, these Boc5 effects were blocked as well.
"Although the observed effects point to a potential anti-diabetic, anti-obesity utility, a practical drug will likely require greater potency," Wang and colleagues conclude.
But, they add, "The findings reported here ... have the potential to spawn a new class of orally available [drugs] for treatment of metabolic diseases."
Wang and colleagues report their findings in the Jan. 5 early online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
© 2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Your level is currently NormalHigh (hyperglycemia).Low (hypoglycemia). |
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Your blood sugar level is slightly high. You should call your health care provider and ask if laboratory tests to check for diabetes are needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.
However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your level is currently normal. However, if you are concerned about diabetes speak with your physician. There may be other risk factors that increase your risk for diabetes.
Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.
Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your blood sugar level may be high, depending on when you last ate. If you have not eaten for at least 8 hours, your blood sugar should be less than 100. If you've eaten within the last 2 hours, your blood sugar should be less than 140. You should call your health care provider and ask if you need laboratory tests to check for diabetes. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Blood sugars consistently above 180 warrant prompt medical attention.
Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your blood sugar level is high. You should call your health care provider and ask if laboratory tests to check for diabetes are needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
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