Irish Diabetes Medicine Could Save Millions of Lives

Results from the world’s largest ever study of diabetes treatments show that intensive blood glucose control using an Irish-made diabetes medicine can protect against serious complications of the disease. In particular, it reduces the risk of kidney diseases by 21%.

The results of the Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease (ADVANCE) trial show that this intensive treatment strategy has the potential to benefit millions of diabetic patients worldwide, including the 200,000 Irish patients living with diabetes.

The ADVANCE trial is the largest of its kind ever conducted. Over 11,000 patients in 20 countries took part in the 5-year trial. Ireland had 442 patients on the trial. The Irish arm of the trial used the oral anti-diabetic medicine, Diamicron MR, which is produced by French Pharmaceutical company, Servier, in its Co. Wicklow plant.

The ADVANCE results show that reducing haemoglobin A1c level (a marker of blood glucose control) to 6.5% is a safe and effective way to reduce serious complications, particularly the risk of kidney disease. Kidney disease is one of the most serious and disabling consequences of diabetes, leading to death of 1 in 5 people with diabetes worldwide.

Other main findings show that intensive blood glucose lowering treatment:

• Reduces the overall risk of serious diabetes complications by 10%
• Reduces the risk of kidney disease in diabetic patients by 21%
• Reduces the development of proteinuria, a well established marker of increased cardiovascular disease, by 30%
• Reduces the risk of cardiovascular death by 12%.

Dr Richard Firth, Consultant Endocrinologist, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin , one of the Irish investigators involved in the ADVANCE trial commented:

“ The ADVANCE glucose results are good news for Irish patients with diabetes. This was a landmark trial considering that there are very few large controlled studies of this nature they really provide clear evidence that more intensive glucose lowering protects the kidney .”

The ADVANCE study results were presented at the American Diabetes Association in San Francisco and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Posted Tuesday 17th June 2008