The Advance trial, the world’s largest study of diabetes treatments, showed lately that intensive blood sugar control using modified release gliclazide and other drugs as required protects patients against serious complications of the disease.

In particular, intensive treatment reduces the risk of kidney disease by one-fifth, according to the study.

Advance was initiated and designed by physicians at Australia’s George Institute for International Health and involved a group of independent medical researchers from 20 countries worldwide. The study involved 11,140 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated and followed up for five years. The study aimed to reduce levels of haemogloboin A1c to 6.5 per cent or below. Intensive treatment included the sulfonylurea, modified-release gliclazide, for all patients and other drugs as required to achieve the haemoglobin target.

The Advance trial, which was supported by Les Laboratoires Servier, was presented at the American Diabetes Association and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Servier is a leading independent French pharmaceutical company.

Diabetes is one of the greatest threats to the health of populations worldwide. Globally, there are approximately 250 million people with diabetes and that number is estimated to rise to 380 million in 2025.

The results of Advance show that this intensive treatment strategy has the potential to benefit millions of diabetic patients worldwide.

The Advance trial was initiated and designed by physicians at Australia’s George Institute for International Health and involved a group of independent medical researchers from 20 countries worldwide.

The study involved 11,140 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated and followed up for five years.

The study aimed to reduce levels of haemogloboin A1c to 6.5 per cent or below. Intensive treatment included the sulfonylurea, modified-release gliclazide, for all patients and other drugs as required to achieve the haemoglobin target.

Chief investigator of the study, professor Stephen MacMahon, principal director of The George Institute, Australia said: ’We are facing a global epidemic of diabetes. The Advance results go beyond existing evidence as we have now shown an effective way to reduce serious complications, particularly the risk of kidney disease, one of the most serious and disabling consequences of diabetes, leading to death in one in five people with diabetes.’                
                      
Advance was initiated and designed by physicians at Australia’s George Institute for International Health and involved a group of independent medical researchers from 20 countries worldwide including Les Laboratoires Servier who is committed to research and development, and invests more than 25 per cent of its annual turnover into advancing therapeutic innovations for patients.

Servier conducts clinical trials for its products through a number of therapeutic research centres all over the world. 

Servier’s UK International Centre for Therapeutic Research is currently involved in a number of trials in several therapeutic areas including oncology, diabetes, hypertension, diseases of the central nervous system, heart failure, stroke osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

It is listed as the second French pharmaceutical company worldwide with outlets in 140 countries. 82 per cent of its sales are achieved internationally.

The Servier Clinical Support Unit in Gidy (near Orleans) is the largest unit of its kind in Europe for the production of drugs for clinical trials. - TradeArabia News Service