- Home
- Medical news & Guidelines
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology and CTVS
- Critical Care
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- ENT
- Gastroenterology
- Medicine
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Obstretics-Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics-Neonatology
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Urology
- Laboratory Medicine
- Diet
- Nursing
- Paramedical
- Physiotherapy
- Health news
- Fact Check
- Bone Health Fact Check
- Brain Health Fact Check
- Cancer Related Fact Check
- Child Care Fact Check
- Dental and oral health fact check
- Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
- Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
- Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
- Fitness fact check
- Gut health fact check
- Heart health fact check
- Kidney health fact check
- Medical education fact check
- Men's health fact check
- Respiratory fact check
- Skin and hair care fact check
- Vaccine and Immunization fact check
- Women's health fact check
- AYUSH
- State News
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttrakhand
- West Bengal
- Medical Education
- Industry
AstraZeneca gets US nod for once-weekly diabetes drug Bydureon for kids
The drug aims to help reduce blood sugar levels along with diet and exercise.
New Delhi: AstraZeneca said on Friday its once-weekly diabetes medicine Bydureon was approved in the United States for use in patients as young as age 10, expanding the drug's access to a critical population.
Chemically called exenatide, the drug is an injectable suspension and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in 10-year to 18-year olds who have type-2 diabetes, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said.
Type-2 diabetes is the most commonly occurring form of the condition where the body cannot properly use or make enough of the hormone insulin, to convert blood sugar into energy.
The drug aims to help reduce blood sugar levels along with diet and exercise.
The U.S. approval comes about a month after data from a late-stage study showed the drug significantly reduced blood glucose levels in adolescents compared to placebo. Bydureon is already approved in the country for adults with type-2 diabetes.
"This decision is an important milestone for the care of this younger patient population by providing a convenient, once-weekly treatment option," said AstraZeneca senior executive Mene Pangalos.
Read also: RDIF expects to release Sputnik V, AstraZeneca mix, match COVID vaccine results by July end
The only other non-insulin options available for adolescents with diabetes are metformin and liraglutide, and they usually have to be taken daily. A lower frequency of use can help check chemical toxicity from frequent intake of medicines.
Bydureon belongs to the class of GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines that activate the GLP-1 protein in the pancreas and stimulate the production of insulin.
Read also: AstraZeneca small cell lung cancer treatment Imfinzi gets nod in China
Ruchika Sharma joined Medical Dialogue as an Correspondent for the Business Section in 2019. She covers all the updates in the Pharmaceutical field, Policy, Insurance, Business Healthcare, Medical News, Health News, Pharma News, Healthcare and Investment. She has completed her B.Com from Delhi University and then pursued postgraduation in M.Com. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in Contact no. 011-43720751