New and emerging therapies in Type 2 diabetes

Dr Giridhar Tarigopula and Professor Melanie Davies, University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust provide a review of the new drugs available for treating Type 2 diabetes and a look at what's on the horizon. 

Pioglitazone plus exenatide brings more benefit to patients

Reporting from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) annual meeting, Orlando

Hopes grow for artificial pancreas

These devices can control insulin pumps and automate some degree in the near-term.  And then we have visions to become more and more automated.

IBD - Chemokine Inhibitor shows promise

Part II of reports from Digestive Disease Week (DDW) meeting, New Orleans

At the end of the maintenance phase, all patients stopped assigned therapy and were followed for an additional four weeks.

Modest result for new monoclonal antibody

The primary endpoint was clinical response at the end of the eight-week period.

Clear take-home messages from ECNP

Reporting from the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) meeting, Amsterdam

In the field of brain disorders, the development of good biomarkers can enhance the possibilities for early diagnostics and the measurement of treatment effects.

Catching multiple sclerosis before it strikes

'Those who will develop MS will show a different blood signature from those who will not.'

UV-B treatment may improve psoriasis and vitamin D levels

'At the end of the study, all patients in the treatment group were vitamin D sufficient, but 75% of the control group had vitamin D insufficiency [serum 25(OH)D level of less than 20 nanograms per mililitre].'

Women who drink beer more likely to develop psoriasis

Non-light beer was the only alcoholic beverage that increased the risk for psoriasis, suggesting that certain non-alcoholic components of beer, which are not found in wine or liquor, may play an important role in new-onset psoriasis.

Inadequate access to opioid-based pain relief is a human rights issue for cancer patients

Reporting from the European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) meeting, Glasgow

This is an issue of cancer patients' human rights, and it's not only a legal imperative, but a moral imperative for the WHO and individual European countries to address the findings of our report.  Dr. Nathan Cherny

Statin therapy related to reduction in cancer recurrence following prostatectomy

FDA Highlights

Unapproved use of quinine sulfate gets FDA warning

Naltrexone and Bupropion for lowering bodyweight

Ketamine in quick relief of depression in treatment-resistant bipolar disorder

While several treatments for bipolar depression are currently FDA-approved, some patients do not respond.

EU-US collaboration on confidentiality

EMEA Highlights

Privatising alcohol sales ‘will spark violence’

Sweden

Function found for Alzheimer’s protein

Australia

"It has long been known that amyloid precursor protein (APP) forms plaques in Alzheimer’s patients leading to brain cell death and, ultimately, dementia."

Research links Huntingtin to Neurogenesis

France

"Given the predominant neurological signs and striking neuronal death in HD, most studies on htt function have focused on adult neurons."

Heart attacks jump in young Italian women

Italy

"The increase was 17.2% in men and 29.2% in women."

Icatibant shows promise for treating hereditary Angioedema

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)

Rosiglitazone treatment shows increase in CV risks and death

Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

Study shows promise for Hepatitis-E Vaccine

The Lancet

Support programmes help prevent weight gain in women

British Medical Journal (BMJ)

A load of hot air

"The report goes on to say that climate change has the greatest change on the poorest people of the world, the very people who have contributed least to its causes."