New Drug Approved

New Drug Approved

NEW DIABETES DRUG
APPROVED

An FDA advisory panel
recently recommended approval of the drug troglitazone (trade name Rezulin,
from Parke- Davis), for treatment of type II (NIDDM) diabetes. FDA final approval
quickly followed; then a lot of media hype about "the new miracle drug."
Just what is Rezulin, and what will it do?
Where traditional oral diabetes medications
stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin, Rezulin directly attacks the
problem of insulin resistance, the increasing inability to process insulin,
that is the chief component of type II diabetes. Although the drug would be
useless for type I (insulin-dependent) diabetics, many type IIs, whose bodies
are still producing some insulin, might benefit from its use.
As with other oral diabetes medications,
Rezulin's effectiveness depends on the presence of insulin. If sufficient insulin
is not present, it must be injected, and Rezulin therapy will not change that
fact. Where insulin supply rather than insulin resistance is the issue, Rezulin
therapy offers nothing. What Rezulin offers is not a "magic bullet,"
but another useful tool, a way for type II diabetics to improve their numbers
and perhaps prolong the time before they must switch to insulin injection therapy.
Troglitazone has been under investigation
for some time, and with final approval, commercial availability should come
shortly. For more information, consult your doctor.