Sanofi-aventis has announced the results of new analysis that found a significantly lower risk of nocturnal hypoglycemia with Lantus (insulin glargine [rDNA] injection) as compared to NPH insulin.

A separate post-hoc sub-analysis found a greater HbA1c and FBG reduction for elderly patients over 65 years of age, taking Lantus as compared to NPH insulin.

In addition, Sanofi-aventis announced results of a head-to-head study providing further evidence on the efficacy of once-daily, 24-hour basal insulin Lantus (insulin glargine [rDNA] injection) compared to twice-daily insulin detemir. Both the analyses and the study were presented during the 45th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna.

Diabetes treatments are aimed at lowering the glucose in the blood, in order to delay the appearance of complications. Insulins are given as a substitute (Type 1) or a supplement (Type 2) to natural insulin secretion.

“Type 2 diabetes is a growing epidemic in the UAE, it is our duty as specialists to continue to explore all means to manage this disease,” said Dr Hisham Mahmoud, medical director Gulf countries, Sanofi-aventis.

“There is a general misconception about insulin therapy among patients in the Middle East; they might assume that only advanced cases of diabetes succumb to this kind of therapy. Initiating insulin immediately, if patients are not achieving target glycemia, will allow better control of the disease. These studies further reinforce the early  use of insulin glargine, proving its efficacy in the treatment of diabetes.”-TradeArabia News Service