Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, has shown potential in improving metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) without worsening liver fibrosis, according to findings published on June 4 in The BMJ. The multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial conducted across six tertiary hospitals in China involved 154 adults with biopsy-confirmed MASH. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 10 mg of dapagliflozin or a placebo once daily for 48 weeks. The primary endpoint was improvement in MASH — defined as a reduction of ≥2 points in the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS) or achieving a NAS ≤3 — without worsening fibrosis.
Cardiac conditions such as heart failure, stroke, and artery disease are major killers across the globe. Lowering blood sugar levels has been the focus for many years for diabetic patients, but new diabetes medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP1Ra) appear to benefit the heart as well. Researchers wanted to know how.
Novo Nordisk is phasing out Human Mixtard, India’s largest-selling insulin brand, along with other pen-based insulin products like Actrapid, Insulatard, and Xultophy. This decision is part of a global move to discontinue older generation insulin products and shift focus to newer, high-profit therapies.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder with rising global prevalence and limited curative treatments. Through genetic integration using Mendelian randomization (MR) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), 42 protein-coding genes were identified as being significantly associated with T2DM. Of these, six genes – CLSTN1, KCNJ11, MLX, DLD, RELA, and ULK1—shared common causal variants with the disease, indicating potential as drug targets.
The research investigated the association of the Neutrophil Percentage-to-Albumin Ratio (NPAR) with mortality risk in diabetes or prediabetes patients. NPAR is a metric that reflects both inflammation, as presented in neutrophils, and nutrition, as presented in albumin. The researchers had 6,080 American adults with diabetes or prediabetes data, obtained between 2001 and 2018, via the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The population was followed up for a total of 53,217 person-years over which 1,378 deaths occurred, 476 from cardiovascular disease.
US pharma giant Eli Lilly has launched its highly anticipated diabetes and obesity drug, Mounjaro (tirzepatide), in India. The drug, available in 2.5 mg and 5 mg single-dose vials, is priced at ₹3,500 and ₹4,375, respectively. Since it is taken once a week, the monthly cost ranges from ₹14,000 to ₹17,500, significantly lower than the $1,000–$1,200 (₹86,000–1 lakh) price in the US.
