Chewable Tablet Might Offer New Help for Diabetes Patients
MANCHESTER, N.H., Jan. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Among those with Type 2 diabetes, the body either resists the effects of insulin, or the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. What if these patients implemented a healthier diet and regular exercise?
According to R. Paul Robertson, M.D., president, Medicine and Science, of the American Diabetes Association, diabetes can be made to go into remission, but it will always be there. But, he says, patients can make significant strides against the disease, often to the point of quitting medication. The good news is that for some people who have lost weight, kept blood sugar levels stable, eat right and work out, doctors may allow them to go off their medications.
As researchers strive for improved treatment options, the best one can do right now is to eat right, exercise and watch for complications. Oh, and one more thing: watch for PAZ320. Currently being developed by Boston Therapeutics, Inc., a Manchester, NH-based pharmaceutical company, PAZ320 is a non-systemic, non-toxic chewable drug candidate that is designed to inhibit enzymes that release glucose from complex carbohydrates in foods during digestion. In a Phase IIa study last year, 45 percent of Type 2 diabetes patients taking metformin responded to PAZ320 with a 40 percent reduction of post-meal glucose in the blood.
David Platt, Ph.D., Boston Therapeutics' CEO, explains that they set out to make one molecule that would block enzymes that participate in the digestion of sugar. The resulting polysaccharide—a new class of drugs called carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzyme inhibitors (CHEI)—is taken before meals, working in the gastrointestinal tract to "disable" the carbs. In other words, it blocks the action of carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes that break carbohydrates down into glucose.
As they wait for new treatments, Type 2 diabetes patients might one day benefit from this chewable "disabler."
For more, visit www.bostonti.com, who paid for the writing and dissemination of this release.
Contact: Laura Radocaj, Dian Griesel Int'l. 212.825.3210
SOURCE Boston Therapeutics, Inc.
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