JAPANESE DIABETES DRUGS IN DEVELOPMENT

It is now widely believed that the incidence of diabetes mellitus is liable to increase, and is almost certainly not going to decline, in the coming years. The overall aim of therapy is not only to normalize plasma glucose levels, but also to correct the underlying metabolic derangements.

Patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, the most common form of the disorder, are traditionally treated with dietary modifications, oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin, none of which address the underlying cause of the disease, although the development of rapidly-absorbed insulin preparations with short half-lives may improve blood glucose control. No drug has yet been developed which can be considered particularly effective against the disorder, and diabetic patients are susceptible to serious long-term complications, including cardiological, neurological and ocular problems.

In Japan, it is estimated that around five million people suffer from diabetes at any time, a very large market which could grow even larger. And the market is also wide open, waiting for a compound which can significantly improve control of the disease. Japanese companies are approaching this challenge with a number of different strategies, such as developing orally-active hypoglycemic drugs which may eliminate the need for daily insulin injections, or agents which combat diabetic complications.