Januvia: The New Kid On The Block
The DPP-IV inhibitors have arrived! Merck's Januvia (sitagliptin phosphate), the first in class of this new drug, received FDA approval yesterday. Januvia works by enhancing the body's ability to release insulin after blood sugar rises, such as after a meal. A second DPP-IV, Novartis's Galvus (vildagliptin), is expected to receive FDA approval later this year). Join the discussion about Januvia in the dLife Forum now, or post a comment below.
Comments
- At 04:13 PM on Tue, Oct 31, 2006 Kim Alcorn wrote:
My son who is 13 years of age has type 1 will he be able to use Januvia or can you send me more information on this
Thank you,Kim Alcorn
- At 10:52 AM on Tue, Oct 31, 2006 JSE wrote:
Alice,
The nausea component of Byetta can be controlled. I have been on it for a very long time now and can recall having difficulty whenever I opened a new cartridge and put it in the pen. I combat my nausea by making sure I have something on my stomach when I inject and then add a little right afterward. You'll have to experiment a little but trust me you will get through it. Good Luck. - At 06:51 PM on Tue, Oct 24, 2006 JANET wrote:
I CURRENTLY ON ACTOS. MAKING ME GAIN ALOT OF WEIGHT. CAN THIS NEW DRUG HELP ME NOT FEEL SO HUNGRY ALL THE TIME. CURRENTLY HAVE MUSLE AND LEG PAIN DO YOU THINK IT BECAUSE OF ACTOS USE?.
- At 02:14 PM on Fri, Oct 20, 2006 James Arrington wrote:
I use insulin. Will I be able to use the new pill?
- At 11:49 PM on Thu, Oct 19, 2006 Anna wrote:
I would like to know the side effects of this drug. I can not take any of the others. I get muscle pain and weakness in my legs.
Thanks - At 03:27 PM on Thu, Oct 19, 2006 thomas l SCHINSKEY wrote:
Does the diabete drug Januvia, not help a diabete
who takes insulin. - At 09:39 AM on Thu, Oct 19, 2006 Sally Smith wrote:
I just want to know when Januvia will be available to purchase
- At 06:48 PM on Wed, Oct 18, 2006 Alice Morris wrote:
I am currently taking Byetta, I have a problem with nausea. Maybe Januvia would be better for me. Thanks
- At 04:20 PM on Wed, Oct 18, 2006 MARIO EHLERS wrote:
In response to Andrew Bridges’ article, “New, costly, type 2 diabetes pill arrives” (Wednesday, October 18, 2006), I believe the recent approval of Januvia (produced by Merck and Co.) is exciting. I disagree with the comments made by Dr. John Buse, director of the diabetes center at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and president-elect of the American Diabetes Association, who said it was still uncertain how valuable the drug would prove to be.
His contention is that some commonly used older drugs “are very effective and are ridiculously cheap.” It is true that older drugs are effective at reducing blood sugar levels, but none of the older drugs has been shown to slow the progression of the disease. It is important to note that Januvia is the first of a new class of drugs called DPPIV inhibitors, which lead to an increase of a hormone called GLP-1. GLP-1 is produced in the gut after a meal and helps the body produce insulin, stops the liver from making too much glucose, helps with glucose moving from the blood into muscle and adipose tissue, and also signals a feeling of satiety or fullness. There is already a drug on the market that mimics the effects of GLP-1, namely Byetta, which was approved about a year ago and is co-marketed by Amylin and Lilly. Byetta, however, has to be injected twice a day, like insulin. Januvia has very similar effects as Byetta but is active as an oral tablet. Januvia appears to be less potent than Byetta but it has fewer side effects; in particular, it does not cause the nausea that is common with Byetta.
The most exciting thing about both Byetta and Januvia is that these drugs have been shown in animals to restore the function of beta-cells, which are the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is thought to result from a combination of insulin resistance and failure of the beta-cells to produce enough insulin to overcome resistance to the action of insulin. Indeed, progressive beta-cell failure is thought to be the main reason why type 2 diabetes progressively gets worse and patients typically have to add more oral drugs and eventually need to take insulin. It still has to be proven in humans, but potentially Byetta and Januvia, together with diet and exercise, may slow the progression of diabetes and might even halt or reverse the disease. This would have tremendous public health implications, and it could reduce the need for insulin shots in patients with late-stage type 2 diabetes.Dr. Mario Ehlers
Chief Medical Officer
Pacific Biometrics
220 West Harrison Street
Seattle, WA 98119
206-298-0068 ext 222
I HAVE NO COMMENT..I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON JANUVIA
MY ? IS ....CAN A type 2 diabetes take the januvia with CHF?We know of the renal insufficieny but don't read about any heart trouble?????
Thank You