New type 1 diabetes drug

An existing drug already used to treat other conditions could potentially be used to treat patients who have newly been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes . The drug, Rituxa, is currently used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
The potential type 1 diabetes drug is produced by Genentech – a unit of Roche Holding AG and Biogen Idec Inc. The diabetes drug could help patients to produce their own insulin, even if the pancreatic beta cells have already been attacked and destroyed.
The drug is currently under trial for diabetic use. Dr. Mark Pescovitz, the lead researcher of the study, was reported as saying: “What this study does is open the door to a whole new way to approaching type 1 diabetes.”