Diabetes drug fails study

A promising new diabetes drug created by the biopharmaceutical company Metabasis Therapeutics Inc. has failed to significantly lower blood sugar levels at a mid-stage clinical trial.
Although not particularly effective in its purpose, the drug was found to be safe for diabetics testing it, and well tolerated amongst the study group. The drug has reached a Phase 2b trial before its inefficiency was proven. Known as CS-917, the drug did not reduce the amount of sugar in the blood.
The company, who are in a joint licensing agreement with Daiichi Sankyo, said the two companies will continue to evaluate the results from the trial. They did not condemn the drug at this stage, but shares in Metabasis slipped by 50 per cent in response to the news.
Healthcare specialists and diabetic patients around the world will be disaappointed with the news, particularly on account of recent furore over established diabetes drugs such as avandia, and the health risks that they can cause.