The Food and Drug Administration have been asked to approve the use of the Sankyo cholesterol drug WelChol as a diabetes drug.
Daiichi Sankyo Inc. has asked the board to consider the drug (which serves to lower bad cholesterol) to approve the drug for improving glycaemic control. The situation arises following positive clinical studies showing that WelChol lowers A1C levels amongst type 2 diabetics .
The studies, which were presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions, demonstrated that WelChol reduced A1C levels by 0.5 per cent.
Dr. Ronald Goldberg, the Associate Director of the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami said: “Every physician who treats diabetes is looking to lower A1C as effectively as possible, resulting in a constant lookout for improved combinations of therapy. The same can be said for LDL-cholesterol as well. As a result, a compound that can help lower both of these important cardiovascular risk factors, A1C and LDL-cholesterol, can be of great benefit for many patients.”
The President and CEO of Daiichi Sankyo, Joseph Pieroni, said: “Given the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol and the number of patients who are not reaching goal, adding WelChol expands patients’ treatment options.”

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